Principal Associate, Rate Design and Cost Allocation

Are you passionate about decarbonization and interested in helping transform the U.S. electricity system? Do you enjoy tackling complex problems through rigorous analysis and clear communication? If so, Synapse Energy Economics may be the place for you.

Synapse Energy Economics is a consulting firm that has provided rigorous analysis on behalf of public-interest clients in the energy sector for more than 25 years. Our work includes expert analysis, reports, and expert witness testimony in proceedings before public utility commissions across the United States and Canada. Our clients primarily include environmental nonprofit organizations, state and federal agencies, and consumer and environmental advocacy groups.

Synapse is seeking a Principal Associate with deep expertise in electric utility rate design, cost-of-service studies, and regulatory models. The successful candidate will contribute to and lead analytical work that advances sustainable, equitable, and customer-focused energy policy.

Our clients rely on Synapse to evaluate and develop rate designs that provide efficient price signals, support energy policy goals, and protect customers. A core part of this work involves reviewing and critiquing utility cost-of-service studies and cost allocation methodologies to ensure that rates are cost-reflective, equitable across customer classes, and aligned with state energy policy goals. Our work spans topics such as data center cost allocation and customer protections, time‑varying rates, electric vehicle rates, and compensation mechanisms for distributed energy resources, including net metering, value‑of‑solar tariffs, feed‑in tariffs, and solar renewable energy credits.

Synapse also supports clients in proceedings addressing emerging regulatory frameworks, including multi‑year rate plans, performance incentive mechanisms, revenue decoupling, and other performance‑based regulatory approaches.

As a Principal Associate, you will serve as a technical leader and project manager, overseeing consulting engagements and collaborating closely with clients and multidisciplinary teams. You will contribute to the development of expert testimony, reports, and presentations that inform regulatory decision‑making and advance the public interest.

Projects may include developing recommendations to protect customers from cost shifting from data centers, proposing innovative rate designs for electric vehicles and distributed energy resources, assessing utility proposals for multi‑year rate plans, conducting benefit‑cost analyses of non‑wires alternatives and grid modernization investments, and reviewing utility cost‑of‑service studies and cost allocation proposals to assess their implications for different customer classes.

In this role, you will:

• Critically evaluate electric utility proposals related to rate design, cost allocation, and regulatory frameworks, identifying analytical gaps and developing alternative approaches that advance the public interest.
• Review and assess utility cost‑of‑service studies, class cost allocation methodologies, and rate design proposals to determine whether they appropriately reflect cost causation, produce equitable outcomes for customers, and support state energy policy objectives.
• Assess the risks and tradeoffs associated with different regulatory models, including traditional cost‑of‑service rate making, cost trackers, multi‑year rate plans, and performance incentive mechanisms.
• Lead and manage consulting projects, ensuring high‑quality analytical work and deliverables while coordinating project teams and schedules.
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to clients and contribute to the development and defense of expert analyses in regulatory proceedings.
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly and persuasively through written reports, testimony, presentations, and stakeholder meetings.
• Lead the preparation of proposals and contribute to business development efforts.
• Ensure the integrity, rigor, and accuracy of analytical work produced by project teams.

• A strong desire to work on behalf of public interest clients in improving energy…