The City of Phoenix is working to achieve carbon neutrality for municipal properties by optimizing existing solar assets and expanding renewable energy capacity. The FUSE Executive Fellow will develop a comprehensive business case and strategic plan to transition solar assets to City ownership and identify new development opportunities on underutilized properties. Ultimately, this will help Phoenix reduce greenhouse gas emissions, maximize its solar potential, and build a more sustainable and resilient energy future for all residents.

Fellowship Dates: April 28, 2025 – April 24, 2026

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $80,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.

ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP

FUSE is a national nonprofit working to expand social and economic opportunities, particularly for communities that have been limited by a history of systemic and institutionalized racism. FUSE partners with local governments and communities to more effectively address pressing challenges by placing experienced professionals within city and county agencies. These FUSE Executive Fellows lead strategic projects designed to advance racial equity and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 250 projects in 40 governments across 20 states, impacting the lives of 25 million people.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion.

Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full-time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within.

PROJECT CONTEXT

The City of Phoenix, Arizona faces significant challenges in addressing the inequitable impacts of climate change, particularly within its most vulnerable communities. One of the most critical challenges is reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its energy sector, the city’s largest source of emissions that contributes to climate change. According to the Phoenix 2018 GHG Community Inventory, 51% of the city’s emissions originate from stationary energy used to power homes, businesses, and industrial facilities generated from fossil fuels, such as natural gas and coal, which release substantial GHGs. Phoenix is working to significantly decrease emissions by transitioning to renewable energy sources and maximizing energy efficiency. Solar energy holds the most promise for achieving these reductions due to Phoenix’s unique geographical advantages; the city has 30-40% more solar radiation than most U.S. cities and a rooftop solar potential exceeding 9,300 megawatts (MW).

The City has already begun leveraging its solar potential through strategic investments and policy initiatives. Their 2021 Climate Action Plan (CAP) established a goal to double the solar energy capacity on city-owned infrastructure, adding 30 MW of new solar by 2030. To date, the City has developed over 40 solar projects on public facilities, ranging from small rooftop installations to large-scale ground-mounted arrays. These projects contribute to Phoenix’s standing as the city with the fourth-most solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity installed in the nation.

To accelerate these efforts, Phoenix will partner with FUSE to optimize its existing solar energy assets and expand its capacity to reach CAP carbon neutrality goals for municipal properties. The FUSE Executive Fellow will: conduct a listening tour and landscape analysis, assist in evaluating current solar agreements, develop a business case to demonstrate the value of direct City ownership of solar installations, and identify renewable energy development opportunities on underutilized city properties. Ultimately, this will enable Phoenix to capitalize on its solar potential, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and achieve long-term climate and energy goals that benefit its residents’ health and wellbeing.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Beginning in May 2025, the FUSE Executive Fellow will conduct a comprehensive listening tour to build a deep understanding of the current landscape of Phoenix’s municipal owned solar energy infrastructure and related contractual agreements. This will include conducting a detailed evaluation of the City’s existing solar contracts as well as reviewing existing financial modeling and cost-benefit analyses that assess the value of transitioning existing potential assets to city-owned solar assets that allow the City to claim Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) for these sites. This will include identifying opportunities for new solar development on underutilized city properties and properties with current barriers to development, such as the 19th Avenue Landfill. The Fellow will also research best practices in solar contract optimization and municipal solar asset management from other cities. This research will include evaluating successful models of municipal solar ownership and identifying innovative financing structures that align with Phoenix’s climate and energy goals. Based on these insights, the Fellow will develop specific project goals and deliverables that the City will review and approve to guide the work throughout the fellowship.

The Fellow will then build financial models related to new solar developments and buyout of existing projects to demonstrate their various positive net present value (NPV) to the City. The Fellow will use these models alongside collected insights from the listening tour to develop a comprehensive business case that outlines buyout and new development options for various properties. The Fellow will work with the City’s Finance Department and other key stakeholders to align strategic recommendations in this business case with the City’s broader fiscal goals and long-term sustainability plans in the CAP.

The Fellow will then outline a phased approach to expanding municipal solar capacity and, as time allows, begin implementing the strategy to negotiate favorable, ‘win-win’ agreements with current solar developers and financiers. This will include building strategic partnerships with community-based organizations, private developers, financers, utilities, and city/state agencies to ensure that new projects are equitable, financially sustainable, and aligned with Phoenix’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) goals. The Fellow will engage with key stakeholders across city agencies, such as the City’s Office of Sustainability, Finance, Water, and Public Works departments, as well as external partners such as Arizona Public Service (APS), financers, and solar developers such as MN8 and SunPower to implement the strategies.

By the end of the fellowship, the FUSE Executive Fellow will have produced a comprehensive set of strategic recommendations and implementation plans for optimizing the City’s existing solar assets and expanding solar energy projects. These deliverables will include a detailed financial roadmap for transitioning solar contracts to city ownership, a feasibility analysis for new solar development opportunities, and a multi-year strategic plan for scaling up solar energy projects across Phoenix’s municipal portfolio. The Executive Fellow will also work to identify long term program implementation goals, milestones, and activities to ensure sustainable operationalization in the future. This will include identifying ongoing monitoring and evaluation efforts to ensure that implementation efforts are responsive to city agency and community needs, as well as aligned with the overarching objectives of the CAP.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

By April 2026, the Executive Fellow will have produced the following:

  • Created a Feasibility Analysis for New Solar Development Opportunities: Conducted a feasibility study for existing underutilized properties, identifying new potential solar development projects, technical requirements, and regulatory considerations to support the City’s expansion goals.
  • Developed a Comprehensive Business Case for Solar Expansion and Optimization: Produced a detailed business case that includes financial models, cost-benefit analyses, and projected net present value (NPV) scenarios for transitioning existing solar assets to city ownership and exploring new solar developments. This document will guide the City’s strategic decisions on optimizing current agreements and claiming Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to reach CAP carbon neutrality goals.
  • Designed a Multi-Year Strategic Plan for Municipal Solar Expansion: Developed a phased strategic plan that outlines key milestones, priority sites, financial strategies, and partnerships to support scaling up solar capacity across Phoenix’s municipal infrastructure. As time allows, begin implementation of the plan through negotiations with stakeholders.
  • Established a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework: Created a framework to assess the performance and financial impact of solar investments, ensuring alignment with Phoenix’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) goals and providing a structure for ongoing evaluation and strategic adjustments.
  • Facilitated Key Partnerships for Solar Project Implementation: Built strategic partnerships with community-based organizations, private developers, utilities, and financiers to support project implementation and promote long-term sustainability of Phoenix’s solar energy initiatives.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

  • Executive Sponsor – Mario Paniagua, Deputy City Manager, City of Phoenix
  • Project Supervisor – Mark Hartman, Chief Sustainability Officer, Office of Sustainability, City of Phoenix

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
  • Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
  • Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.
  • Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
  • Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
  • Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
  • Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.
  • Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
  • Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.

FUSE is an equal-opportunity employer with core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.