Collaborate with other CERTs staff and partners in developing, adapting, and implementing CERTs’ statewide programming in ONE of the following program areas: residential clean energy; non-residential energy efficiency and building electrification; non-residential renewable energy and energy storage; utility program innovation; or renewable energy siting.
A. Residential energy efficiency and electrification
1. Provide support to CERTs’ residential clean energy programming, with an emphasis on equipping a range of community organizations with the knowledge and tools to effectively engage underserved audiences around priority clean energy opportunities: energy efficiency, beneficial electrification (thermal and transportation), and renewable energy.
2. Strengthen partnerships and program targeting to ensure that accurate and timely information can be effectively communicated to underserved communities, with consideration given to relevant factors like geographic location, housing type, heating fuel, energy burden, language, and cultural considerations, among others.
3. Identify and communicate relevant funding options like utility programs, energy assistance and weatherization, low interest financing, and government incentives like those included in the Inflation Reduction Act, with the goal of easing the path to equitable adoption of efficiency, electrification, and renewable technologies.
4. Identify opportunities for storytelling to facilitate replication of successful strategies and projects.
B. Non-residential energy efficiency and building electrification
1. Serve as a technical resource for CERTs staff and community organizations on non-residential energy efficiency and building electrification (especially thermal). Work with other staff to identify and prioritize audiences for engagement, with priority given to underserved communities.
2. Assist in the development of partnerships and tools to effectively communicate energy efficiency and electrification opportunities to target audiences.
3. In alignment with CERTs’ programmatic and audience priorities, conduct energy audits for and provide other needed technical assistance to businesses and organizations. Connect to relevant funding options to ease the path to adoption of energy efficiency and electrification measures.
4. Identify opportunities for storytelling to facilitate replication of successful projects.
C. Non-residential renewable energy and energy storage
1. Serve as a technical resource for CERTs staff and community organizations on renewable energy and energy storage. Work with other staff to identify advantageous use cases for renewable energy and storage technologies, with consideration given to sector-specific energy usage and local energy costs, among other factors.
2. Assist in the development of partnerships and tools to effectively communicate renewable energy and energy storage opportunities to target audiences, prioritizing underserved communities.
3. In alignment with CERTs’ programmatic and audience priorities, conduct non-sales site assessments for and provide other relevant technical assistance to businesses and organizations. Connect to relevant funding options (e.g. USDA REAP, PACE) to ease the path to technology adoption.
4. Identify opportunities for storytelling to facilitate replication of successful renewable energy and energy storage projects.
D. Utility program innovation
1. As utilities seek to achieve increasingly high targets for efficiency and renewable energy, and as they seek to accommodate and promote electrification, support CERTs’ efforts to identify and share innovative and equitable utility programs and approaches to providing clean, reliable, affordable energy services.
2. Activities may include convening peer-to-peer learning sessions or cohorts, as well as supporting CERTs’ partnerships with utilities, their associations, and program implementers.
3. Identify opportunities for storytelling to facilitate replication of innovative and successful programs and approaches.
E. Renewable energy siting
1. Proactively engage communities on renewable energy siting, so that as Minnesota seeks to achieve renewable energy targets, communities can ensure that this clean energy transition meets local as well as statewide needs and priorities.
2. This may include activities like community-based research to identify community priorities and preferences, developing partnerships with diverse community organizations, and convening meetings.
3. Connect with University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center on their ongoing renewable energy projects (especially agrivoltaics) and, as appropriate, communicate results to relevant audiences.
4. Identify opportunities for storytelling to facilitate replication of innovative and successful models.
RETURN TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA JOB BOARD