A new job posting shows Tesla is preparing to expand its Energy operations abroad as it seeks to become a retail electricity provider in the United Kingdom (UK). The job posting is for a new Head of Operations, Tesla Electric – Retail Energy position based in either London or Manchester.
Tesla Electric launched late last year after the Texas Public Utility Commission licensed the company to sell electricity to households. Through the Tesla Electric program, which launched in December, participants with Solar and Powerwall can share their stored energy with Texas’ fragile grid. The program is still only available in Texas, but as we previously reported Tesla was planning to expand to other parts of the US, and eventually to international markets.
The first international market looks like it will be the UK. According to the job posting, which was published one week ago according to Linkedin, shows the company is seeking a candidate who “will have operational responsibility for our retail electricity activities in the UK.” (via The Telegraph)
Some of those responsibilities include obtaining the necessary electricity supply licenses and accreditations and laying the groundwork “for commercial launch of a retail electricity product in the UK,” after which the person will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of Tesla Electric’s UK division.
The job posting doesn’t outline what the program will look like in the UK, but it will likely be the same as what is being offered in Texas. There program participants can optimize the utilization of their solar energy, thanks to Tesla’s advanced Powerwall technology. By automatically assessing energy prices in real-time, the Powerwall intelligently determines when to store excess energy and when to sell it back to the grid.
When energy prices are high, the Powerwall will seamlessly transfer the stored energy to the grid, enabling owners to earn substantial credits that can be applied towards their electricity bill. According to recent reports, some participants are earning upwards of $150 per day.