For many solar and storage developers, grid access is now the critical path. Projects can have land, permits and offtake lined up and still wait years for an interconnection agreement. That has made interconnection managers some of the most sought-after people in the industry.
What the role covers
An interconnection manager owns a project's path from queue application to energization. Day to day that usually means:
- Queue strategy: deciding where and when to submit, and at what size, based on available capacity and study timelines.
- Managing studies: working through feasibility, system impact and facilities studies (or cluster studies) with the utility or ISO/RTO.
- Cost and risk: understanding network upgrade costs and how they change between study phases, and advising on whether a position is still viable.
- Agreements and deposits: negotiating interconnection agreements and managing milestone payments and readiness requirements.
- Coordination: working with development, engineering, legal and finance so the project stays aligned with its grid position.
The skills that matter
The best interconnection managers combine technical understanding with commercial judgment. Look for:
- Hands-on experience in the specific markets you develop in, such as PJM, MISO, ERCOT, SPP, CAISO or the Western utilities, since each process differs.
- Enough power systems knowledge to read study results, question assumptions and talk credibly with transmission engineers.
- The ability to explain cost and timeline risk clearly to development and finance teams.
- Persistence and organization. Queue processes are long, document-heavy and full of deadlines.
Many come from utility or ISO roles, from consulting engineering firms that run interconnection studies, or from other developers' grid teams.
Where it fits in the team
Smaller developers often have one interconnection lead covering the whole portfolio. As pipelines grow, companies tend to build a team: a director of interconnection or grid strategy, managers aligned to particular regions or ISOs, and analysts supporting studies and data.
Hiring tips
- Be specific about the markets and the portfolio size in the brief. Regional experience is often the deciding factor.
- Expect strong candidates to be in demand and to have several options. Move quickly once you have found the right person.
- Talk about the portfolio. Good interconnection people want to work on projects that have a realistic path to being built.
We recruit interconnection, transmission and grid specialists for developers and IPPs across the US. See our transmission and interconnection recruitment or start a search.