Emily Sanford Fisher on Electricity Markets, Affordability, and Navigating a Complex Energy Future

Emily Sanford Fisher is an energy sector strategist and founder of Enodia Energy, a consulting firm dedicated to advancing an affordable, reliable, and clean energy future for all. Through Enodia, she works with key electricity sector stakeholders at the crossroads of a new energy future, including utilities, industry groups, regulators, and nonprofits. In this piece, Emily answers questions about the future of the power system, some of the biggest challenges she’s faced within the sector, and how she approaches problem-solving and decision-making in such a complex, fast-moving field.

What first drew you to the energy sector, and when did you realize you wanted to focus specifically on electricity markets and affordability?

Emily Sanford Fisher: I studied International Affairs in college and was drawn to energy as a key tool to support development across the world. Access to energy – particularly electricity – can be life-changing for people around the globe. Humans need food, water, and shelter to live, but more and more, we also need energy to have safe, comfortable, and meaningful lives. 

At the same time, energy prices are some of the most regressive prices that people face. We all pay the same rate for electricity (or gasoline), which feels fair, but means that people with fewer resources are spending more of those resources to get what has become a necessity. That feels more than unfair, it can be unjust. 

Figuring out how to provide affordable, reliable, and increasingly clean energy to all people is the challenge of the modern world, at least from my perspective. I was lucky enough to start working with utilities almost 20 years ago, and it showed me that there is a place to try to solve these problems, via electricity markets and regulation. Utilities are businesses that are both focused on providing service today and are always looking to the future. They also have such a direct role in their customers’ everyday lives. It seemed to me that they were the best tool to try to attack the affordable, reliable, clean energy problem, with the greatest chance for real and immediate impact. 

You’ve worked at the intersection of policy, markets, and infrastructure. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced early in your career, and how did they shape your perspective today?

Emily Sanford Fisher: This industry is complicated – both technically and from a legal/regulatory perspective. This is what makes it fun for me. But trying to master the physics of electricity and the complex regulations and market structures can feel overwhelming to those who are newer to the field. 

There were almost no classes about these issues when I was in college and law school, so like a lot of practitioners, I consider myself self-taught. That’s an advantage in an industry that continues to evolve, I’m never afraid of something I’ve not seen before or something that requires me to really dig into the details. The constant learning keeps me curious, which I think is an asset in a changing world. Of course, I have developed some personal opinions about markets and regulations over the years, but I try to remember that things change, and my perspectives should change if I learn something new. Technology is such a game-changer in the energy industry! You have to be ready for it to change how you see problems and potential solutions. 

This complexity has also really given me a commitment to education. I’m super fortunate to have been able to design and teach courses about this industry at the college level. I love giving students who want to join the industry and fight for a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future the tools that I did not have coming out of school.

For someone outside the industry, what does a typical day look like in your role, and how do you stay focused in such a complex and fast-moving field?

Emily Sanford Fisher: No day is ever really the same, so it is hard to say what a typical day looks like! Some things remain constant, however, unless there is something that requires immediate attention, I try to spend time first thing in the morning looking at the news and the trade press. This definitely helps me stay on top of whatever is going on. 

At the same time, I always find that I need time to process information and think about what it all means and what the implications could be for my clients. Being able to integrate information and find threads of meaning and connection are unique tools that I bring to energy challenges. So, I need time to process. I live near the water, so I try to take some breaks to walk along the harbor and think.

And, there is a core cadre of people I trust and love to talk to, kick around ideas with. During the week, I try to schedule calls to talk through issues and share perspectives with my people. I always find that two heads are better than one. 

When you’re analyzing something as complex as rising electricity prices, how do you approach problem-solving and decision-making?

Emily Sanford Fisher: I tend to have a two-step approach, which balances information gathering and being decisive. I think it is important to try to have good, information and up-to-date information when making a decision. At the same time, there is no such thing as perfect information, and seeking more data can be a kind of paralysis or a way to avoid making decisions. So, at some point, you have to make a call with the information you’ve got. I try to be transparent about why I made the decision that I did, and I try to test it out on others, if there’s time, when I can. I also think that, unless someone gets hurt, it’s OK to make mistakes. You learn from bad decisions, integrate those outcomes, and move on.

What is one major shift happening in the power system right now that you find particularly promising?

Emily Sanford Fisher: I’m always excited about technology. And, I truly believe that the engineers will solve the problems we face, we will have a clean, affordable, reliable electricity system. We just need to get there, and I see that we are going to get there when I see the advances in long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, LDES is not just one thing, but a lot of different technologies that are being developed. Electricity generally cannot be stored and has to be consumed as it is produced. Being able to shift production and consumption over days, weeks, or even months and years would be a game-changer. So, it’s exciting to see companies try to move different LDES technology options forward. 

What personal habit or mindset has helped you navigate a career in such a complex and evolving industry? 

Emily Sanford Fisher: It’s a little cheesy, but I really care about what happens, I really want a clean, affordable, reliable electric system for people and the planet. I think having a personal stake in the outcome makes it possible to remain positive and focused, even when things are hard and complicated. I feel so fortunate that I found an industry that not only uses my skills but also allows me to tackle problems and issues that I think are important and give my work meaning. 

Of course, being passionate can have its downsides, I definitely have opinions about what I think is the right way to do things and can get feisty when people don’t agree! So, I have to temper passion with staying informed, so that I make good decisions, not just the decisions that speak to me. Also, I try very hard to stop and think before I speak. That’s a lesson that I have learned the hard way over the years!

What is a belief you hold about electricity markets or energy affordability that might challenge common assumptions?

Emily Sanford Fisher: Markets, particularly energy markets, can instill a kind of quasi-religious fervor in some. Many in this field feel like the market tells the truth and that we need to prioritize the functioning of the market at all costs. I….am not always a fan of the market. Electricity is a public good and a necessity for modern life. For me, there is something perverse about trying to provide this essential thing via a market that relies on scarcity to set prices. Like, that almost feels crazy and dangerous to me. When markets fail in other places, you can’t get a thing you want. But when electricity markets fail, people die. So, I am a market skeptic. 

I do see the value in markets for optimizing dispatch and ensuring real-time reliability. So, I am for using markets where they make sense and promote customer-centric outcomes, but if regulation can do a better job of that, I am all for it. And, in many cases, I think regulation can do a better job helping us make decisions about what to build and where and when than the market. 

How do you maintain perspective and avoid burnout when working on issues that have such broad economic and societal impact?

Emily Sanford Fisher: Perhaps I have failed at avoiding burnout in the past. I had some years where I felt like I worked all of the time, around the clock. But I am doing a better job of taking time for myself, in big and small ways. My best friend is a diplomat, we met when we were both in long-term language training, which is extremely demanding and draining. She always said we needed to have one thing to look forward to every day to help us get through months of training – which she named “the fun factor.” These days, I try to make sure that every day has a “fun factor.” It could be a walk, getting my favorite coffee, taking a minute to do some trip planning, or talking to my college-age son on the phone. Just something every day that is for me. 

What do you do when you’re not working? What are some of your hobbies and interests?

Emily Sanford Fisher: My first love was international development and travel. So, I always have a trip planned, even if it is months away. Later this year, we’re headed to South Korea to go hiking and eat delicious food. My husband, son, and I all have very different musical tastes, but there is always music in our house. I find that the right song can change my mood instantaneously. 

Who Is Emily Sanford Fisher?

Emily Sanford Fisher leads Enodia Energy, helping utilities, regulators, and industry organizations navigate the evolving power system. Her career spans clean energy policy leadership, utility regulation, and electricity market strategy, including executive roles at SEPA and EEI. Admitted to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia, Emily Fisher teaches courses on energy and environmental law and the history and regulation of the grid.