The People Behind PowerMarket: Meet Alec Kahn

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

My name is Alec Kahn, and I’m an Operations Analyst at PowerMarket. I grew up in New York City, not too far from the PowerMarket office.

For college, I studied Environmental History and Politics at Harvard University. I wrote my 100-page senior thesis on the history of rodent control in New York, including the ecological conditions that contribute to rat infestations (why poorer and more marginalized communities often suffer the most), and the failure of municipal officials to address the root causes of infestations. Outside of school I researched renewable agriculture, led backpacking trips through the Northeast, and played Blues and Techno music for my college radio.

After college, I moved to Paris for a year as a Fulbright Scholar, as part of a climate policy research group. I worked alongside researchers of urban heat islands and electric vehicles, and led a project on urban agriculture in Paris. I led a discussion at a conference in Brussels on the impact of climate change on food security, meeting with policy leaders across the US and EU.

What inspired you to pursue a career in clean energy or the climate space? Was there a specific moment or experience that made climate action personal for you?

During the pandemic, I took a year off from school, moved across the country, and began working on a farm in Southern California. As someone who grew up in New York, this was a transformative experience—connecting with nature, feeling the dirt in my fingernails, and smelling the fig leaves and zucchini flowers. Meanwhile, at that very moment, wildfires were sweeping across the state, and I saw firsthand how a changing climate impacted people’s lives on the ground, down to the food they ate.

In response to the wildfires that devastated homes and farms in neighboring towns, I worked with the managers of my farm to incorporate water conservation strategies and drip irrigation, which helped preserve groundwater in the valley and protect the local ecosystem from further wildfire damage. That small but meaningful change has been a wellspring for me as I’ve gone on to pursue other forms of climate action.

What does your day-to-day look like in your role at PowerMarket?

As an Operations Analyst at PowerMarket, I work with the rest of the ops team to serve as the link between solar developers and energy consumers. I help oversee community solar projects by making sure they are fully subscribed, coordinate with utilities across the country, and manage the stream of credits and payments flowing between utilities, developers, and consumers. On a day-to-day level, I keep track of how much energy our customers use each month and determine how many solar credits to allocate them for the next month.

But everyone at PowerMarket coordinates across different departments, so I often work with the Acquisition team to help bring new projects online and the Billing team to update ledgers and keep track of payments. We rely on one another and work collaboratively—so it helps that we’re a close-knit team too!

What are some key takeaways or lessons you’ve learned since joining the team?

I’ve learned that the renewable energy market requires coordination across so many different people. Solar developers, utilities, subscription managers (like us), and households are all working together to make sure electricity continues to flow from the panels and through the grid and that it benefits the thousands of people and organizations PowerMarket calls its subscribers.

Behind the scenes, this involves extensive planning and coordination, engaging with the regulatory bodies like public service commissions, tracking electric bills and usage, submitting requests for utilities to allocate credits, and managing various risks and obstacles faced by developers. Ultimately, I’ve learned that the green transition on the ground involves a great deal of logistics and specialized knowledge.

What are your long-term goals (either personally or professionally) in this field?

Ultimately, I would love to be a changemaker in the transition to clean energy. At PowerMarket, I’m learning about all the nitty-gritty details and logistics required to make the renewable transition possible—including the web of statewide policies, the larger regulatory environment, partnerships between developers and utilities, and the constellation of accounting involved to make this energy system work. In the future, I hope to use that knowledge to help move the needle toward cleaner, more affordable energy for everyone.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? Any hobbies, creative outlets, or ways you like to recharge?

My life outside of work is filled with many little activities and adventures. (Classically, for someone passionate about the climate) I love outdoor activities—rock climbing, calisthenics, yoga—and I’ve backpacked through the canyons of Utah and the Red Desert of Wyoming. I love working with my hands, whether woodworking in my friend’s studio or learning how to make silver bracelets and rings with pliers. And I love to read and write—on the subway, you’ll always find me with a novel and a pen in my hands.