Policy Consultant

POWERHOUSE TEXAS + TEXAS ENERGY & CLIMATE CAUCUS Policy Consultant | Short-Term Engagement LOCATION Austin, Texas preferred; hybrid / remote with availability for Texas-based stakeholder convenings, legislative meetings, and virtual coordination. ENGAGEMENT TYPE Independent consultant / fixed-fee engagement; anticipated 5-6 month scope, with potential to transition into a longer-term or full-time role depending on organizational needs, funding, and mutual fit. ORGANIZATIONS PowerHouse Texas, 501(c)(3) - COMPENSATION Fixed monthly fee of $6,000/month. The organisations anticipate the scope may require approximately 25-30 hours per week, depending on deliverables, stakeholder availability, and legislative/regulatory timing. Compensation is structured as a fixed monthly fee for agreed deliverables, not as an hourly engagement. ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS PowerHouse Texas is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that cultivates energy policy leaders, fosters bipartisan collaboration, and informs evidence-based policy change for Texas energy and environmental challenges. PowerHouse equips policymakers, legislative staff, industry experts, innovators, researchers, and community leaders with educational resources that support Texas energy leadership. The Texas Energy & Climate Caucus is a bipartisan legislative caucus advancing a sustainable Texas energy economy, job growth, and informed policy dialogue. The Caucus complements the educational work of PowerHouse Texas while maintaining a legally distinct 501(c)(4) and legislative caucus role. POSITION OVERVIEW PowerHouse Texas and the Texas Energy & Climate Caucus seek a sharp, experienced Policy Consultant to support a focused 5-6 month policy development and legislative preparation work plan. This engagement is intended to provide immediate policy capacity during a critical planning window before the next legislative cycle. The consultant will focus on four primary deliverables: Support the development of the Caucus legislative agenda and strategy Draft bills for and with caucus members Develop a Distributed Energy Resources policy blueprint with stakeholder convenings Project manage Energy Policy Advisory Council white paper development The scope is intentionally narrow and deliverable-driven, with concrete monthly outputs and focused stakeholder engagements rather than open-ended standing meetings. The ideal consultant has experience with Texas energy policy, the Texas Legislature, regulatory or stakeholder processes, bill drafting, and coalition/stakeholder engagement. The consultant should be able to quickly synthesize technical policy information, convene the right stakeholders, and translate policy concepts into clear, actionable materials. SCOPE OF WORK 1. Distributed Energy Resources Policy Blueprint Lead development of a DER policy blueprint within a defined timeframe, ideally approximately 60 days from project launch. Core activities may include: Identify and engage the right mix of stakeholders, including policy experts, community-based organizations, industry representatives, regulatory participants, legislative staff, and aligned partner organizations. The Policy Consultant will devote particular resources to including community-based organizations and effectively communicating technical policy issues to their non-expert audiences. Structure focused work sessions or convenings designed to produce usable policy direction. Synthesize stakeholder input, regulatory context, implementation barriers, and legislative opportunities. Develop a written DER policy blueprint that can inform education, stakeholder alignment, bill drafting, and future legislative strategy. Ensure the blueprint is concrete, actionable, and useful for both PowerHouse educational purposes and Caucus legislative planning, while maintaining appropriate C3/C4 boundaries. Policy Consultant will coordinate with PowerHouse/Caucus staff participating in coalitional policy efforts. Support development and refinement of the Caucus legislative agenda for the upcoming legislative cycle. Core activities may include: Workwith the ExecutiveDirectorto translate organizational priorities into a clear legislative agenda framework. Identify where Caucusmembers, legislative offices, stakeholders, and partner organizations may be aligned around priority policy concepts. Preparepolicysummaries, legislativeconcepts, decisionmemos, and stakeholderinputsummaries. Helporganizeagendaprioritiesby issue area, political viability,member leadership opportunities,and timing. Supportpreparationforfuturefundingandimplementationneeds tiedtothelegislativeagenda. 3. EPAC White Paper Project Management ProjectmanagetheEnergyPolicyAdvisoryCouncilwhitepaperprocess so EPAC expertiseisbetteractivatedandconvertedinto usable policymaterials. Coreactivitiesmaybefollowingduringtheprocess. Establish a clear project plan, timeline, topic list, owner assignments, and review process for EPAC white papers. Coordinate with EPAC members, staff, and outside experts to move drafts from concept to completion. Support drafting, editing, synthesis, and quality control as needed. Ensure final products are useful for policymaker education, program content, stakeholder engagement, and legislative agenda development. Maintain momentum and accountability so the white paper process produces concrete outputs before reporting deadline. Assist with bill drafting and legislative language development based on the DER blueprint, legislative agenda priorities, stakeholder feedback, and Executive Director guidance. Core activities may include: Translate policy concepts into bill drafting frameworks, legislative language, section‑by‑section summaries, or drafting instructions. Work with Caucus leadership, legislative offices, stakeholders, and Legislative Counsel as appropriate. Refine bill language based on stakeholder input and strategic priorities. Help identify potential authors, co‑authors, legislative champions, and policy pathways. Prepare supporting materials that explain the purpose, need, and practical impact of proposed legislation. WORK PLAN AND DELIVERABLES The consultant will work with the Executive Director to finalize a 5-6 month work plan with concrete monthly deliverables. The following is an initial draft framework for discussion: Month 1 : Project launch, stakeholder map, work plan, DER blueprint outline, EPAC white paper timeline, legislative agenda inventory. Month 2 : Focused DER stakeholder engagement, first DER policy blueprint draft, EPAC white paper assignments and draft development, initial legislative concepts. Month 3 : DER blueprint refinement, stakeholder feedback synthesis, legislative agenda framework, priority bill concepts. Month 4 : Final DER policy blueprint, bill drafting instructions or initial bill language, legislative champion mapping. Month 5 : Bill drafting refinement, stakeholder validation, agenda package, funding/reporting support, and implementation roadmap for January legislative activity. Month 6, if needed : Final edits, transition materials, additional bill drafting support, and handoff to staff or longer‑term policy capacity. QUALIFICATIONS Significant experience in Texas energy policy, legislative policy, regulatory policy, public affairs, or related fields. Familiarity with distributed energy resources, demand response, demand flexibility, energy efficiency, grid modernization, ERCOT, PUC, or related policy areas strongly preferred. Experience with bill drafting, legislative agenda development, Legislative Counsel processes, or legislative office engagement preferred. Ability to manage complex stakeholder processes and convert discussion into concrete written deliverables. Experience liaisoning with community based organizations or with grassroots organizing and lobbying efforts. Strong writing, synthesis, research, and policy analysis skills. Professional judgment and comfort working with legislators, legislative staff, regulators, community-based organizations, industry stakeholders, nonprofit partners, and policy experts. Ability to work independently, manage deadlines, and produce high-quality work with limited ramp‑up time. Comfort operating in a dual-entity environment with clear C3/C4 boundaries. CORE COMPETENCIES Policy analysis Energy policy literacy DER / grid modernization knowledge Stakeholder convening Project management Technical synthesis Clear writing Strategic judgment Nonpartisan and dual-hat discretion Responsiveness and follow-through #J-18808-Ljbffr