Energy Regulatory Lead

Job description

About the Team OpenAI, in close collaboration with our capital partners, is building the world’s most advanced AI infrastructure ecosystem. The Power Execution team owns the strategy and execution required to secure reliable, scalable, and economically resilient power for OpenAI’s global data center portfolio. The team sits at the intersection of commercial, technical, policy, legal, and operational work, partnering across OpenAI and with utilities, grid operators, regulators, counterparties, and public-sector stakeholders. About the Role The Energy Regulatory Lead will own energy regulatory strategy and execution for OpenAI’s infrastructure growth. This role will be the primary bridge between the Power Execution team and Public Policy and Government Affairs on energy regulatory matters, ensuring that OpenAI’s external engagement is grounded in project realities and that changing policy and regulatory conditions are translated into actionable infrastructure decisions. This is an individual contributor lead role and does not have direct reports initially. The role combines portfolio-level regulatory positioning with transactional regulatory work: evaluating jurisdictional pathways, supporting utility and energy transactions, coordinating approvals and filings, and helping project teams navigate tariffs, interconnection, load-service requirements, market rules, and regulatory risk from diligence through execution. Key Responsibilities Develop and maintain OpenAI’s energy regulatory strategy across priority U.S. markets and, as needed, emerging geographies for infrastructure expansion. Coordinate closely with Public Policy and Government Affairs to shape energy regulatory priorities, engagement plans, messaging, and positions before utilities, public utility commissions, grid operators, state energy offices, and other relevant policymakers. Translate project requirements—load size, timing, reliability, cost, carbon, and expansion needs—into clear regulatory objectives and external engagement strategies. Lead regulatory diligence for powered-land, data center, utility, supply, and energy-infrastructure opportunities; identify applicable tariffs, service rules, approval pathways, filing requirements, queue and interconnection constraints, and material regulatory risks. Support transactional work with Legal, Commercial, Procurement, Finance, and project teams, in…