DRIVING CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS
AND LGBTQ+ INCLUSION.
MEET JOSHUA TORRES, SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR
Joshua is a Senior Policy Advisor on our Local Public Affairs (LPA) team where he and his team engage local elected officials, community-based organizations, and other civic leaders about climate change and a clean energy future. In his previous position, he was a Government Relations Manager and served as the liaison to a dozen cities across the San Gabriel Valley.
Joshua admits he was not always interested in starting a career at a utility. “When I graduated from college, I never once thought I would work for a utility company” he said. He graduated as a political science major and planned to pursue a career in government. He kept an open mind and has been at SCE for almost 10 years.
Joshua loves his job because he enjoys working on the defining issue of our time – climate change. “Not only am I passionate about driving towards a clean energy future, but I get to take action to help stop climate change”, he shares. He works closely with external stakeholders on clean energy solutions and often highlights the SCE Pathway 2045 paper, our data-driven analysis of the steps that California must take to meet the 2045 goals to clean our electricity grid and reach carbon neutrality.
In his role, he regularly works on initiatives to help customers transition away from fossil fuels by making it easier to drive electric vehicles or to install heat pump appliances. In addition to helping fight climate change, he is also an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Through the years, Joshua has seen the company’s support for LGBTQ+ employees evolve and grow. He is proud to work for a company that he views as ahead of the curve on LGBTQ+ issues, such as same-sex couple benefits and gender reassignment benefits. He also commends the company for being one of the first to survey their employees and ask if they identify as LGBTQ+ or gender non-confirming. Joshua acknowledges employee allyship as an important driver of change and credits Lighthouse’s Ally 101 program. He shares, “We have had a huge amount of support for our allyship program from the CEO down to line managers.”
What is the most memorable piece of career advice you have received?
Before I worked for SCE, I worked in local government. I had the opportunity to have lunch with one of the youngest city managers in California history. I wanted to know how he reached that position so quickly in his career. He told me to find the things that no one else wants to do and do them well. Managers love nothing more than employees they can trust to get the work done and do it well. I have kept that advice with me throughout my entire career. Indirectly, this advice is how I began my journey to SCE. The city I worked for also operated a municipal electric utility. I was asked to move into that department even though I had no experience with energy. The municipal utility needed someone who was a quick study and willing to work hard. This is how I was introduced to the electric industry. I worked with the municipal utility for a couple of years and eventually found a job at SCE.
Share with us your experience and involvement with Lighthouse?
Lighthouse is a small but mighty Business Resource Group. I became involved with Lighthouse about six months after I started. I saw a banner during Pride month and thought it would be nice to connect with other LGBTQ+ employees. Within a year, I was on the board. A few years later, I became President of Lighthouse and currently serve on the board as Engagement Director. In my tenure on the board, I’ve had the opportunity to work on some amazing initiatives. I helped develop our Ally 101 program to educate SCE employees on the importance of being an Ally for LGBTQ+ inclusion. I helped write Edison International’s support letter for the Equality Act in 2019, and I’ve attended the Welcome Back Reception for LGBT Legislative Caucus on multiple occasions. I also helped revive and expand SCE’s participation in the Long Beach and Palm Springs Pride Parades.
From your perspective, why is it important to have LGBTQ allies?
It is critically important not only to have LGBTQ+ allies but also for LGBTQ+ to be allies. Allies can have an outsized voice in helping promote inclusion. People tend to receive messages better from people who have similar perspectives. A straight person talking about LGBTQ+ inclusion usually carries more weight. A man talking about gender equality can have a bigger impact. It is important for people who have a platform to use it for good. Allies have been critical at achieving LGBTQ+ equality at a national level.
