Nature of Work
The purpose of this job is to provide professional level administrative support services to a department head or other administrative position. Manages assigned projects. Work as staff liaison to the various departmental divisions and programs and outside agencies; may act as staff liaison with the media. In some instances, this position will have supervisory responsibility.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by employees in this job. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.
Specific Functions of the Energy and Carbon Specialist
ENERGY / CARBON PERFORMANCE TRACKING & ANALYSIS The specialist will be responsible for tracking the energy and carbon performance as well as modeling future estimated performance of all City of Grand Rapids operations including buildings, utilities and fleets. The City has over 200 Energy Star Portfolio Manager accounts that must be maintained, including consumption and cost data for electricity, natural gas and steam. The specialist will coordinate and manage City participation in the Grand Rapids 2030 District, Michigan Battle of the Buildings, the Carbon Disclosure Project and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy City Energy Efficiency Scorecard. In addition to tracking energy / carbon performance, the specialist will also be responsible for analyzing how City facilities and the fleet are performing against targets and identifying best practices and opportunities for improvement and cost savings. This work also includes conducting financial analysis of energy consumption (rates, demand management).
IDENTIFY & IMPLEMENT CARBON REDUCTION STRATEGIES – The specialist will coordinate the completion of energy audits for municipal properties, including managing utilization of the U.S. Department of Energys Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant funding. This position will also oversee the implementation of efficiency and other energy related work and support all departments in achieving energy and GHG reductions and cost savings. The specialist will be held accountable for creating plans to successfully achieve the Citys 85% GHG emissions reduction and 100% renewable energy goals, including supporting departments achieving department and facility specific energy and GHG reduction targets. The specialist will also partner with the Fleet Department to strategize on transitioning the City fleet to a low or no emission fleet and serve as a pilot for community employers and organizations with large fleets to decarbonize.
SOLAR AND RENEWABLE ENERGY OPPORTUNITIES The specialist will assess the cost, savings and feasibility of installing solar on City facilities or properties. The position will be responsible for supporting requests for proposals on solar installations and managing any approved solar projects. The specialist will evaluate renewable energy opportunities outside of on-site solar installations, including the purchase of renewable energy credits, carbon credits, virtual power purchase agreements and Consumers Energys voluntary green pricing program. In addition, the specialist will help coordinate the Citys participation in the SolSmart campaign to make the City more solar friendly with the Community Energy Coordinator.
MANAGE ENERGY TEAM & CANNABIS ENERGY REVIEW The specialist will manage the Citys Energy Team, which is a cross-departmental team of representatives from Facilities, Mobile GR, Water, Environmental Services, Engineering, Fire Department and Libraries that collaborate on energy projects, programs and goals specific to City operations. Review cannabis licensing applications to ensure the sustainability requirements of the ordinance are met.
ENERGY/EMISSIONS LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS The specialist will assist the Chief Sustainability Officer on energy and emissions related legislation and regulations, including Michigan Public Service Commission cases and LARA building and energy code development.
CARBON REDUCTION PROGRAMS & POLICIES FOR THE COMMUNITY The specialist will assist the Chief Sustainability Officer in creating and implementing carbon reduction programs and policies that will help decrease the carbon footprint of the community. This work will include providing assistance to the Community Energy Coordinator in managing Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) projects and helping community members, particularly low-income residents, leverage existing efficiency incentives and opportunities. The specialist will also collaborate with Mobile GR and Fleet colleagues on electric vehicle opportunities and provide guidance on potential energy efficiency inspection processes and data reporting.
RESEARCH & BENCHMARKING The specialist will research energy and carbon innovations and best practices, which will include researching other municipalities and leading organizations working on energy and carbon reduction and staying abreast of new developments to share with relevant departments. This research will also include benchmarking the Citys performance in key areas against other municipalities and businesses. Research topics may include policy options to support increased energy efficiency and renewable energy, electrification, microgrids and battery storage as well as other energy and carbon innovations.??
Required Education and Experience
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Preferred Educatoin and Experience
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