District Cooling Regulation Specialist

Title: District Cooling Specialist

Section: District Cooling Regulation

Department: Technical Regulation

Sector: E&W Regulatory Affairs

Entity: Department of Energy

Role Purpose:

The District Cooling Specialist is in charge of managing the development, maintenance, and updating of regulations, codes of operations, and standards for district cooling activities in the energy sector, including price controls, regulatory development direction, and supply and demand analysis.

Furthermore, the District Cooling Specialist is responsible for monitoring new and existing regulations, codes of operations and standards, including technical standards, performance, and providing feedback on what has worked well.

Key Responsibilities:

• Understand the overall DC regulatory framework, particularly market competition, price regulations, and other relevant DC regulatory framework documents.

• Conduct economic/financial analysis and review of financial models, levelized costs and tariff projections, NPV, IRR, and financial statement analysis in support of DC license applications for new and existing DC schemes.

• Conduct a cost comparison and benchmarking analysis for such existing DC projects that were previously commissioned to verify and assess grandfathering applications.

• Development of any guideline’s documents, templates, models, and/or other regulatory documents that may be required to improve the DC regulatory framework from an economic standpoint; Review of DC feasibility studies submitted by Developers or other entities for the DoE approval using key materials such as life cycle costs on an NPV basis, levelized costs, tariffs, and verifying economic and financial assumptions therein.

• As part of the market competition framework in DC regulations, review the RFP and competitive tendering processes for the procurement of new district cooling schemes.

• Conduct bid evaluations from DC Procurers by analyzing submitted financial statements and financial models, verifying the accuracy and integrity of economic and financial assumptions, assessing key parameters such as DC levelized cost, DC tariffs, NPV, IRR, and providing recommendations on the most cost-effective bid.

• Examine regulatory submissions, such as audited separate business accounts (SBAs) and annual information submissions (AIS), as well as other reports, to determine compliance with DC economic regulation and licensee windfall profits.

• Development of an internal database for sector information, including financial statements from DC providers, project costs and tariffs for each DC scheme, and return parameters.

• Work on other items as assigned, adhering to the department's work plan, timetable, and methodology as a team to meet the Scope of Work and the Deliverables.

• Understanding of operational and design issues

• Provide guidance and support to graduates and DoE personnel involved in day-to-day activities.

• As needed, represent the DoE in appropriate forums. Provide technical advice and assistance.

Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant discipline e.g. Finance or economics etc.

Core Capabilities:

• Ability to develop regulatory frameworks and monitor their implementation

• Ability to lead the development of technical regulations, standards and codes focused on district cooling

• Ability to monitor and keep up to date with the direction, developments and changes in the district cooling sector, and their consequential impact on regulatory activities

• Ability to provide technical advice and regulatory recommendations on district cooling topics

• Capacity to provide necessary support for the development of critical performance standards and the formulation of controls that ensure the measurement and compliance with rules, regulations, standard standards, and codes.

• Ability to evaluate complex information to verify accuracy and understand implications

• Ability to effectively communicate and work with key stakeholders, DoE management, external parties, and advisors

• Ability to demonstrate good judgement in an efficient manner

• Ability to scan the external environment to understand the impact of changes and developments on DoE and the sector

• Ability to respond accurately and in a timely manner to requests for information from relevant stakeholders

• Ability to ensure that applicable policies and procedures are complied

• Analytical, problem solving and critical reasoning skills

• Effective oral and written communication

• Attention to detail and accuracy skill

Experience & Exposure

• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in developing and maintaining district cooling regulations for the energy sector

• Deep understanding of the district cooling sector, regionally and globally

• Good understanding of the strategic direction of the Abu Dhabi energy sector, the objectives for the sector, the strategic direction of the Department and requirements of key stakeholders

• Knowledge of the energy sector globally, regionally and in Abu Dhabi

• Adequate knowledge of the Abu Dhabi energy and environment sectors, their strategic directions, and developments, as well as the sectors' objectives and the needs of the key stakeholders.

• Thorough understanding of the broader energy sector, including its strategic direction and developments, in the wider region and globally.

Responsibilities

• Support the development, maintenance, and updating of district cooling regulations.
• Conduct economic and financial analyses on regulatory matters, including price controls and supply-demand analysis.
• Assist in monitoring new and existing regulations, ensuring compliance and effectiveness.
• Provide feedback and insights on past regulatory practices and their outcomes.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to gather and analyze data for regulatory purposes.
• Prepare reports and recommendations based on economic analyses for regulatory decision-making.
• Stay updated with industry trends and best practices in district cooling regulation.
• Liaise with internal teams and external partners to ensure regulatory compliance.
• Assist in training and educating team members on regulatory matters.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of regulatory processes and frameworks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Economics or Finance is required.
• Minimum of 4 years of financial experience in the district cooling plants/sector.
• Strong analytical skills with expertise in economic and financial analysis.
• Excellent knowledge of district cooling regulations and industry standards.
• Ability to interpret and apply regulatory requirements accurately.
• Proficiency in using financial analysis tools and software.
• Strong communication skills for effective collaboration and report writing.
• Attention to detail and a methodical approach to regulatory compliance.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• A proactive and solution-oriented mindset is preferred.