The world is rapidly decarbonizing. At APPRISE, I have the opportunity to actively contribute to this transition by conducting research on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy bill assistance programs and policies throughout the United States.

I have found my work as a Policy Analyst at APPRISE to be analytically rigorous, thought provoking, and highly impactful. I provide essential support to Project Directors by conducting or contributing to key research tasks, which include quantitative data analysis, in-depth interviews, memo writing, and more. I also have the opportunity to serve and engage with leading stakeholders in the energy sector, who range from major utility companies to state directors of multi-million-dollar energy assistance programs, and beyond.

As part of our quantitative work, Policy Analysts leverage statistical software to analyze household energy consumption data, financial/billing data, performance data reported by state directors of the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and more. We have the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with and apply a range of statistical analytical methods – including t-tests, linear regressions, weather normalization of energy consumption data, etc. – to real world data. One aspect of the quantitative work at APPRISE that I appreciate is that we do not rely on engineering estimates/projections for energy consumption reductions, and instead focus on analyzing actual pre- and post-treatment utility billing data. This helps ensure that our program impact measurements are accurate and that our evaluation reports are most constructive for our clients.

In terms of the qualitative work, Policy Analysts are tasked with independently conducting surveys and in-depth interviews with a variety of stakeholders across the U.S. energy sector. Earlier this year, for instance, I was assigned to a project on the equitable development of the solar workforce in a Midwestern state. As part of the research for this project, I conducted interviews with a variety of stakeholders, including solar vendors, job training organizations, and civil rights advocates. Performing this first-hand research enlightened me about the state of solar energy development in a major region of the country and the ongoing challenges faced in its adoption. Moreover, writing detailed summary memos of the interviews that I conducted helped me hone my professional writing skills.

Working as a Policy Analyst at APPRISE has been a wonderful experience for me thus far. It has allowed me to apply skills that I developed while pursuing my social science undergraduate degree to socially positive ends, whilst exposing me to an industry that I hope to build a lasting career in.

Moiz Ali Jehangir, APPRISE Policy Analyst