Get to Know the Team at GDO: Carrie Cobb

Carrie Cobb is a Senior Project Manager of the Transmission Facilitation Program in the Grid Deployment Office’s Transmission Division. Before coming to the Grid Deployment Office, Carrie worked at the Bonneville Power Administration. She helped increase energy efficiency in the Pacific Northwest for a decade there before moving into the Business Transformation Office to help manage cross-cutting work to help the Bonneville Power Administration adapt to the new energy landscape. Carrie lives in eastern Maine on an island, has two daughters, is on her local library board and volunteers at her local pet shelter. 

What’s one word you would use to describe GDO? 

Impactful. 

What inspired you to work in the energy and grid realm?   

I love working in energy. The industry is undergoing such a shift in how they manage and resource the grid, which means that there are so many opportunities to make a difference. I love feeling that I am contributing to keeping people safe by ensuring electricity flows and that strong infrastructure reduces emissions.

What most interested you about coming to work at GDO? 

I was most excited about building a new program because I love to build new things. I also love working at the national level because it exposes me to so many different regions and their specific infrastructure needs.  

What excites you about your work at GDO? 

I love the people I work with. They are all smart and want to do good work. It is fun to be around the energy and the variety of skill sets and backgrounds. I also really like that many of us work remote and live all over the country—it brings such a great mix of folks to make things happen! 

What’s one thing you wish more people understood about transmission?  

Transmission lines are critical for ensuring the nation is safer during the increases in storms, unseasonable temperatures putting strain on the system, and fires.  

Do you have any tips for someone looking to enter your field of work?  

If you are entry level, definitely look for internship opportunities on USAJOBS (the Federal government’s job site) or on the websites for the Power Marketing agencies. They provide such good hands-on experience. The energy industry employs a lot of people from different backgrounds for so much of what we do, so don’t assume not having a background in energy will hold you back.