Position Overview
The Director of Utility Interconnection leads all utility engagement, transmission planning, and electrical interconnection activities for a portfolio of large-scale hyperscale, AI/HPC, and mission-critical data center developments. This role is responsible for securing reliable utility power, advancing interconnection requests, negotiating utility agreements, and coordinating transmission, substation, and generation integration from site acquisition through commercial operation.
Working closely with project development, engineering, utilities, transmission operators, EPC partners, and regulatory agencies, the Director ensures power delivery milestones remain aligned with aggressive development schedules while minimizing cost, schedule, and regulatory risk.
The ideal candidate possesses extensive experience with electric utilities, transmission systems, ISO/RTO markets, utility interconnection processes, and large-load customer development.
Key Responsibilities
Utility Strategy & Power Delivery
- Lead utility engagement strategy for hyperscale data center developments ranging from 100 MW to 2+ GW.
- Identify and evaluate utility service territories, transmission availability, and power delivery options during site selection.
- Develop utility due diligence reports supporting acquisition decisions.
- Build and maintain executive-level relationships with utilities, cooperatives, municipalities, transmission owners, and regulatory agencies.
- Develop long-term utility partnership strategies supporting multi-site development programs.
Interconnection Management
- Lead all transmission and distribution interconnection activities.
- Manage utility application processes, feasibility studies, system impact studies, and facility studies.
- Coordinate with ISOs/RTOs including MISO, PJM, ERCOT, SPP, CAISO, and regional transmission providers.
- Track study assumptions, queue positions, network upgrade requirements, and milestone obligations.
- Lead negotiations regarding interconnection costs, schedules, construction responsibilities, and commercial terms.
- Coordinate generation interconnections for onsite gas generation, renewable generation, battery storage, and future SMR integration where applicable.
Utility Agreements
Lead negotiation and execution of:
- Electric Service Agreements
- Interconnection Agreements
- Construction Agreements
- Facilities Agreements
- Contribution in Aid of Construction (CIAC) agreements
- Line Extension Agreements
- Transmission Service Agreements
- Operating Agreements
- Cost-sharing agreements
- Easements and utility access agreements
- Coordinate closely with internal legal counsel throughout contract negotiations.
Transmission & Substation Development
- Coordinate utility-owned and customer-owned substations.
- Support conceptual design of transmission interconnections ranging from 69 kV through 500 kV.
- Coordinate transmission line routing and utility interface requirements.
- Manage utility design reviews and constructability coordination.
- Support long-lead procurement planning for transformers, breakers, GIS equipment, reactors, and protection systems.
- Coordinate energization planning and commissioning schedules.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Partner closely with:
- Development
- Site Acquisition
- Engineering
- Preconstruction
- EPC Contractors
- Utility Engineering
- Transmission Planning
- Environmental
- Permitting
- Legal
- Finance
- Commercial Operations
- Serve as the primary internal authority on utility-related project risks.
Risk Management
Identify and mitigate risks related to:
- Utility capacity constraints
- Transmission congestion
- Queue delays
- Network upgrade costs
- Utility construction schedules
- Long-lead electrical equipment
- Regulatory approvals
- Easement acquisition
- Cost escalation
- Power delivery milestones
Develop mitigation plans and executive reporting for each project.
Program Management
- Develop integrated utility schedules supporting project development milestones.
- Track critical utility deliverables across multiple concurrent projects.
- Manage utility consultants, owner's engineers, and technical advisors.
- Prepare executive dashboards summarizing utility readiness, schedule, and project risk.
- Coordinate utility activities with project financing and investment milestones.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical discipline.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.
- Master's degree or MBA is a plus.
Experience
- 10+ years of utility, transmission, or large infrastructure development experience.
- 5+ years managing utility interconnections for projects exceeding 100 MW.
- Experience with hyperscale data centers, power generation, renewable energy, industrial facilities, or transmission infrastructure.
- Demonstrated experience negotiating utility agreements and interconnection contracts in ISO/RTO's such as PJM, MISO, NYISO, ERCOT.
- Familiarity with FERC, NERC, and applicable state utility regulations.
Preferred Technical Experience
- Large-load utility service
- Transmission planning
- Utility tariff structuring
- Utility protection and control
- Generator interconnections
- Natural gas generation
- Combined-cycle generation
- Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
- Renewable energy integration
- Load forecasting
- Transmission expansion planning
- Utility cost estimation
- Energization planning
- Power system reliability
Core Competencies
- Executive relationship management
- Utility negotiations
- Strategic planning
- Technical leadership
- Risk management
- Commercial negotiation
- Cross-functional leadership
- Financial analysis
- Program management
- Executive communication
- Problem solving
- Decision making
Success Metrics
The Director of Utility Interconnection will be measured by:
- Utility power secured on schedule for all projects.
- Successful execution of utility and interconnection agreements.
- Achievement of energization milestones.
- Minimization of interconnection costs and network upgrades.
- Effective management of utility schedules and project risks.
- Strong utility and regulatory relationships.
- Accurate forecasting of utility-driven project milestones.
- Successful coordination across development, engineering, and construction teams.
- Reliable power delivery supporting project commissioning and commercial operations.