Q&A with Grace Childers: 2025 Energy Policy Fellow
The Energy Policy Fellowship is a signature program of PowerHouse Texas. The Fellowship pairs undergraduate and graduate-level students with bipartisan members of the Texas House of Representatives or the Texas Senate, based on their aligned policy interests and areas of expertise.
The Fellowship is specifically intended for young professionals with a background in science, engineering or environmental sciences who are interested in gaining hands-on experience in policymaking and the legislative process. The program aims to create a pipeline of future energy policy leaders here in Texas.
Grace, can you start by telling us a little about yourself?
My name is Grace Childers, and I am a senior Chemical Engineering student at The University of Texas at Austin. I am one of six PowerHouse Texas Fellows, and I am fortunate to work as a Legislative Aide in Representative Richard Hayes’ office from Denton County. I am grateful to PowerHouse Texas and Representative Hayes for the opportunity.
What led you to exploring a career in energy policy?
While my interest in energy began in high school during my college application process, my job at the UT Center for Electromechanics (CEM) fanned that interest into a passion. I worked for CEM as an Undergraduate Research Assistant on the Hydrogen Energy Systems programs for nearly three years before starting my role with PowerHouse Texas. Through hands-on systems integration experience and computer-based analysis, I learned about the immense potential for a hydrogen economy in Texas. For the adoption of clean hydrogen energy or any energy technology, I learned that three entities need to collaborate to make it happen: academia and research, private industry, and government and regulatory agencies. My desire to understand the intersection between technology, business, and policy, as it pertains to hydrogen and other emerging energy technologies, led me to the unique experience of working in the Texas Legislature.
What have you been working on during this legislative session?
In the legislature, I study energy bills that other legislative offices have filed and ensure that I am informed on the intended effect of the policy. I specifically try to understand the technology behind the policy, using my technical background to assess the policy’s effectiveness within the industry it targets. I apply the same research exercise to the municipalities’ policy area, and I help prepare a few of our bills on the subject for committee hearings and floor hearings. My office roles extend beyond energy policy so I’ve learned even more than I thought I would in this role. Additionally, I help with constituent correspondence, assisting residents in our district with their concerns. Going into this experience, I did not realize that we could call our representatives, and the office would be available to help. More surprising still, I did not realize how publicly available the capitol offices are to groups of stakeholders and constituents. Anyone who walks through our door is greeted and assisted, and that is a very pleasant surprise. This job dismantled my previous perception that the offices of elected officials were difficult to access for the public. It is a great reminder for me that while I am here to learn about the legislative process and how that relates to energy engineering, the core of the position is public service.
What have been your most valuable takeaways so far?
This role has challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone. Analyzing “legal-ese” is an entirely new skill, one that I am still improving. Furthermore, I am learning how to receive complex information in an area of expertise that I have limited familiarity with. And on the flip side, I am learning how to explain complicated engineering processes at a high level so they can be legislated. This role has also shown me the importance of building a network of people. I am grateful to have met so many knowledgeable people so far in this fellowship. Not only are they a resource for understanding different areas of policy, but also for witnessing the many ways different industries interact with the government. Everyone has a stake in what happens in the legislature, heightening the importance of communication within a network containing many different knowledge bases. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to learn these skills so early on in my career, and I am thankful to have met so many amazing people and to have formed so many great relationships so early as well.
Looking ahead, what’s next for you?
After my fellowship with PowerHouse Texas, I will return to Hydrogen research at CEM for the remainder of the summer to complete my undergraduate degree. I will graduate from UT with my Chemical Engineering degree in December of 2025. I am excited to apply my technical and legislative experience in my career in the energy industry. I am thankful to PowerHouse Texas, Representative Richard Hayes, and the awesome staff in my office for the opportunity to work in the Texas Legislature. I appreciate the chance to learn how my engineering background can apply to the world of policy and how the marriage of the two can contribute to the historic energy transition in our great state and nation.