Photography Fellowship Pays $30,000 for 3 Months of Documentary Work

PowerLines, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to modernizing public utilities, is seeking a documentary photographer for a three-month assignment dedicated to “humanizing the impact of rising utility bills on everyday consumers and communities across the United States.”

Founded by energy analyst and former Department of Energy policy advisor Charles Hua in 2024, PowerLines is a relatively new organization that wants to reform the way gas and electric utility companies operate and are funded.

“Electricity rates are skyrocketing; they’ve grown 20% since the start of 2022. The grid is becoming increasingly fragile. There’s a preponderance of extreme weather events like wildfires, hurricanes, winter storms, Uri, Eliot; they all point to that. And then there’s this new trend, this growing electricity demand driven by AI and manufacturing, that’s creating even more strains on an already challenged grid. So all these different stakeholders, they’re not getting what they want, including the utilities who feel that consumer trust is at an all-time low,” Hua said in an interview on the Volts podcast in 2024.

“Including the commercial and industrial customers with clean energy targets that aren’t getting clean electricity fast enough, and certainly low-income communities that have always had to pay a disproportionate share of their income and their wealth on energy and continue to face shutoffs. So, we’ve been living under this illusion of stability, but in reality, we’re coming close to reaching a breaking point if we don’t pay attention and we don’t act now.”

As part of its mission, PowerLines is seeking an experienced documentary photographer for what it is calling a three-month fellowship, with the task of developing and executing an original photography product that documents the human experience of rising utility costs in a “a creative, humanizing, compelling, and accessible way.”

The project will last from May 15 to August 15, 2026 and will pay $30,000 split over that period. PowerLines says that the selected fellow will retain joint ownership of all images produced and are permitted to accept external, non-conflicting assignments during the fellowship period.

“The ideal candidate brings at least three years of professional photography experience and a strong documentary or photojournalism background. You have a proven track record of working on economic and human issues with sensitivity and depth, and you approach storytelling with both rigor and creativity,” PowerLines says in its job posting. “You are comfortable working independently in the field, managing your own timeline and travel, and collaborating with a mission-driven organization.”

Those interested in the role will need to submit a portfolio of 20 images, a professional bio, a written project proposal for the documentary series, and a development timeline including a budget and travel schedule.

Applications for the role close on April 15 and those interested can apply through the organization’s website.

Image credits: Background of header photo licensed via Depositphotos.com.