For this first 5 questions interview we asked our colleague Anaïs Faucher from the Policy Unit about her background and her aspirations for the energy sector.
Anaïs, how did you end up working in energy policy?
It all started with high school. I’m French but I went to an international school in Germany in a very European environment. After that, I decided to pursue my studies in European Law in Strasbourg and in Lille. During my Master’s Degree, I had the opportunity to do a legal internship at the Bundesnetzagentur, the German Energy Regulatory Authority, where I first discovered the energy sector in the context of the Green Deal. I was working at the EU and international Coordination Department and took part to various ACER/CEER activities. That’s when I really discovered the energy sector at the EU level and realised that I wanted to specialise in this and, above all, build a career around the energy transition. One month after the publication of the FitFor55, I applied to Eurogas for an internship, seeing in it an opportunity to get closer to the institutions and to start my career in one of the main sectors of the transition: the gas industry. For me, working in energy policy is a way to have an impact in the legislative process in favour of a fair and just transition towards the EU decarbonisation.
What would you advise the “younger you” before starting your job hunt?
I would advise my younger self to be more confident and trust my capacities as a young worker but also as a woman, especially regarding technical topics in the energy sector. I would encourage myself to apply to opportunities that seem out of my league, as most of the people that are already working in energy policy are keen to share their expertise and knowledge and open to teaching young workers what policy in the energy sector is.
If you could share one message with European leaders in a personal capacity, what would it be?
I would tell them that all voices need to be heard in this transition and especially the young ones, as it is their future we are talking about. I would also ask them to further encourage cooperation between sectors. The transition will be a common effort and an occasion to demonstrate what the EU unity is about.
What would you like to achieve in the next 5 years in your career?
I would like to gain as much expertise and knowledge as possible and become more confident and autonomous in order to be able to proudly defend my own ideas publicly. This is why I am currently following a Florence School of Regulation training on the Regulation of Energy Utilities, focusing on the electricity and gas markets. It will help me to build on the knowledge that I have gained during my professional experience, and to compare it with a more academic point of view.
And lastly, what would you like to achieve by retirement?
I would like to work at least once in the public sector, either within an EU institution or directly for my own Member State’s government. I believe this would give me a chance to experience a different perspective on questions related to energy.
