Water Management Energy Efficiency

This project focuses on creating a recommendation and implementation plan for the City of Durham, NC, Water Management Department (DWM) to utilize its Water Treatment and Water Reclamation Facilities to reduce energy use and maintain the affordability of our services to our citizens. The FUSE Executive Fellow will work with site superintendents, directors, and sustainability groups to optimize existing and emerging technology towards these goals. This will ultimately address and reduce inequity in affordability, sustainability, and water/energy conservation for the residents of the City of Durham.

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

Durham, NC is increasingly recognized as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. Despite a median household income of nearly $60,000, the city faces significant economic disparities, as reflected by a poverty rate of 15.2%. As Durham grows, we have identified the need to update our water and power utilities to support the demand of our diverse population and aim to modernize infrastructure while pursuing carbon neutrality. According to a 2022 study by Cardoso, 10% of households in the United States spend more than 4.5% of their annual income on water and sewer services, with the poorest 10% spending an average of 6.8%.

In 2021, the City of Durham adopted its Carbon Neutrality and Renewable Energy Action Plan. With the adoption of this plan, the City of Durham became one of the first communities in North Carolina to commit to ambitious sustainability goals. Most notably for the FUSE partnership are the last two of their four goals: reduce energy consumption in city buildings by at least 30% by 2040 and power city operations and facilities with 80% renewable energy sources by 2030 and 100% by 2050.

Currently, Durham has two studies guiding energy efficiency through water management: one focusing on electrical improvements needed in major water and wastewater treatment facilities and another focused on improving biosolids treatment, disposal and gas utilization at wastewater treatment plants. Utilizing this momentum, the FUSE Executive Fellow will build upon these studies to create and implement strategies for more affordable, sustainable, and efficient processes. Opportunities include but are not limited to what opportunities captured bio-gas generated from biosolids digestion process could be utilized for energy efficiency.

PROJECT SUMMARY

The FUSE Executive Fellow will organize their 12-month work plan according to the following work streams:

• Optimize processes to reduce energy consumption at the facilities.
• Explore and implement alternative energy sources to minimize waste and lower the carbon footprint at the facilities.
• Develop precise methods for measuring energy consumption at the facilities, potentially using detailed usage dashboards.

As this is an internally-facing role, the FUSE Executive Fellow will structure their fellowship planning based on guidance from the Superintendents of the two water treatment and two wastewater facilities that are the focus of this collaboration. The framework applied to guide the conversations, and ultimately the focus of the work itself, will aim to create plans to increase cost efficiency for both the city and the consumers. This will be accomplished by considering measures towards sustainability and reducing the city's carbon footprint. Based on the findings of this listening tour, FUSE will then develop specific project goals and deliverables that the collaborating parties will review and approve.

Upon completion of the listening tour, the FUSE Fellow will conduct two SWOT analyses. Each of these SWOT processes will result in separate reports that will guide the city and its Superintendents and inform Capital Improvement Plan development as it strives to reach its goals of carbon neutrality. The first will focus on identifying alternative energy sources, determining how the city can increase operating efficiency. The second will focus on power metering equipment and technology, again, with its eye on efficiencies. Key collaborators include Superintendents of water plants, DWM Utility Engineering Division, and the General Services Department Sustainability group.

The FUSE Executive Fellow will produce a process optimization recommendation and implementation plan that will focus on two areas of operations. This approach will create predictive models for maintaining existing equipment and conduct market research to identify equipment upgrades. These upgrades will help the city achieve its goals of increased affordability, sustainability, water and energy conservation, and improved electrical mapping. Additionally, this will support the creation of dashboards to guide effective operations. Long term success of the FUSE Executive Fellow will result in optimization of machinery and technology, ultimately increasing equity in affordability, sustainability, and water/energy conservation for the residents of the city of Durham.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

Infrastructure work often does not receive attention until urgent needs arise. However, the City of Durham, through its partnership with FUSE, is proactively paving the way for sustainable and energy-efficient water access. By investing in upgrades and improvements now, the city is ensuring that its citizens benefit from affordable and reliable clear water in the future.

Deliverables:

• Process Optimization Plan: Recommendations and an implementation plan to guide the city-wide strategy for improving rate affordability and energy efficiency.
• Power Metering Assessment: Evaluation of power metering equipment and technology to enhance operational efficiency and support green and clean usage. Identify locations within the plants to install the equipment and build dashboards to monitor the metering equipment.
• Recommendations for the use of alternative energy sources and locations to further reduce the energy demands of the plants.
• Equipment Assessment: Evaluation of existing equipment to determine if more energy efficient equipment could be installed to lower the plants energy demands.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

• Executive Sponsor - Don Greeley, Director of Administration and Operations, City of Durham
• Project Supervisor - Dirk Cartner, Assistant Director for Plant Operations and Maintenance, City of Durham

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.