This article is part of ISEN's series highlighting alumni in sustainability and energy. MORE PROFILES
Exploring the complex future of the us energy sector
David Hill owes his career in energy law and policy to serendipity. After graduating from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Hill went to work in Washington, DC, and after five years, joined the firm of Wiley Rein & Fielding (now Wiley Rein LLP), cofounded by another Northwestern alum and former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Richard Wiley (Law ’58).
In 1995, when Wiley Rein & Fielding decided to expand its work in the energy regulatory area, Hill was excited to apply his interest in macro policy issues to the field. Ten years later, Hill was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the US Senate as general counsel of the US Department of Energy (DOE). After his time at the DOE, he joined Sidley Austin LLP in Washington as a partner in the firm’s energy practice.
“After working in both the public and private sectors, I’ve learned that you want cross-pollination,” says Hill. “You want people working in the private sector who’ve worked in government and understand how hard it can be to make decisions that balance interests and advance the public good. You also want people working in the government who’ve had experience in the private sector and know what it’s like to operate businesses with the regulatory systems put in place by the government.”
Since 2012, Hill has served as executive vice president and general counsel at NRG Energy, an American energy company, and is responsible for the company’s legal, regulatory, environmental, and government affairs activities and personnel. In this role, he works with other company leaders to navigate the rapidly changing US electric power sector.
Here, he elaborates on three areas that can significantly impact the current utility model:
Energy Storage
Large-scale storage may be the holy grail of electric energy. If you could reliably and cost-effectively store large amounts of renewable energy, we’d have a more resilient grid with cleaner energy and lower emissions. For this to be possible, we’re talking not only about new technology, but also an overhaul of energy infrastructure and the way we think about how electric energy is dispatched and priced. Expect some very interesting advancements in this area.
Competition
In areas of the electric sector where competition has been in place for a number of years, some companies and other stakeholders are now pushing back and arguing for a return to a more centrally-planned, monopoly-style model. However, it makes no economic or environmental sense for that to happen. The American economic experience has demonstrated over many decades that competition benefits consumers and the overall economy by providing more choices, lowering costs, and promoting innovation.
Shareholder Value
As a public company, NRG focuses on growing and delivering shareholder value and making economically and environmentally sound decisions that support that. We believe that our customers want affordable, cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions. For that reason, we’ve committed to bringing more renewable energy online and to making that more affordable for customers and more effective for the whole electric power system.
This article is part of ISEN's series highlighting alumni in sustainability and energy. MORE PROFILES
