Meet the Women of GSPP: Rachael Dziechciarz, Senior Counsel
Rachael Dziechciarz has been a valued team member at GS Power Partners for more than four years. After working remotely, she recently relocated to New York City, and she is excited to work with her colleagues in person! Thanks to her sharp legal acumen, collaborative spirit, and deep institutional knowledge, she is a valuable contributor to our company. Rachael’s transition marks an exciting new chapter, not just for her, but for the entire team as we continue to grow and strengthen our presence in one of the most dynamic energy sectors in the world. We are thrilled to officially welcome her to the NYC office!
We recently sat down with Rachael as part of our series highlighting the women of renewable energy to profile the emerging leaders who make our company great. Her interview follows below. Some of her answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
What is your current title and role at GS Power Partners?
As Senior Counsel, I currently specialize in project acquisitions. My primary focus is on negotiating term sheets, drafting project company membership interest purchase agreements, coordinating the closings for acquisition of solar projects, and providing legal guidance to our Acquisitions and Development Management departments. My goal is to ensure that the projects we acquire are commercially viable when we hand them off to our Pre-Construction department, and, more broadly speaking, to the rest of our departments at GS Power Partners. Over my time at the company, I have enjoyed getting into the weeds on many different projects, and I have learned much from my involvement in each of them. It has been especially exciting to have a front row seat as we apply key learnings from past experiences to evaluate projects. I also can’t help but state the obvious – it is incredibly satisfying to watch our projects go from cradle to completion.
What did you do before you started with GS Power Partners? And how did that experience help you progress in your career?
I was a Senior Attorney at the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) for three years, and prior to that, I was a Compliance Officer at Deutsche Bank. I became especially interested in the energy industry while working at the Florida PSC, where I had the opportunity to lead regulatory proceedings regarding a wide range of issues – from how a new area code is issued in telecom, to how electric utilities justify recovery of expenses from their customers when they need to recoup costs as a result of hurricane damage. Through those experiences, I gained foundational knowledge in finance, utility tariffs, and energy regulation, all of which are quintessential building blocks to my current specialization in the solar distributed generation industry.
What do you like best about what you do now?
In my current role, I specialize in acquisitions, and I enjoy being involved in the evaluation and construction of a solar project from the very early stages. As I mentioned before, it is especially exciting to see the tangible result of your efforts at the end of the process, when you get to see a fully operational solar site that you helped construct.
What is most energizing to me, though, is the challenge of this job. It really flexes a lot of intellectual muscles. I like to call the hurdles and challenges we face “law school hypotheticals.” When I was in law school, we were often presented with case studies featuring a convoluted series of events, and then we were prompted to advise on the various legal pathways to resolving the stated dispute. I sometimes feel like I could start a side-gig writing hypotheticals for law schools from real things that we have successfully navigated. Our culture encourages problem solving, and we have the capacity to take on a wide variety of projects, which has been a really great experience and ultimately fun to work with our solutions-oriented team!
What do you like best about working at GS Power Partners?
My coworkers are one of the best things about working here. We have so many interesting and intelligent people, and the answer to any question is never more than a phone call away. I’m excited about my move to New York and working in the office with my colleagues. Over the last four years, I’ve developed great relationships and I am excited to build upon them in person.
What excites you about working in the clean energy industry?
What really excites me about working in the clean energy industry is the intersection of business opportunity and environmental responsibility. It’s a space where you can “do well by doing good” and where innovation and impact go hand in hand. That combination is incredibly motivating to me, and I really enjoying working with the innovators in the energy industry.
Who is your favorite sports team and why?
My favorite sports team is the Buffalo Bills because they are the best!
That answer is a little cheeky, but there are definitely life lessons I’ve gained from being a proud member of the Bills Mafia. I grew up in Buffalo and really love the fans and the team. We’ve been through a lot and are always persevering and looking at the bright side. They’re my team for good or for bad – and that attitude has helped me in life and during my career.