Star Tribune seeks an energy and natural resources reporter

Star Tribune is seeking an experienced reporter to write deeply reported and thoughtfully crafted stories about energy, natural resources and sustainability in Minnesota. We are looking to cover the changing world of energy in the state, from traditional power companies to the growing investment in alternative energy.

The beat includes covering Xcel Energy, which is ranked 244^th on the Fortune 500 list and serves millions of electric and natural gas customers, and CenterPoint Energy, ranked 308th on the Fortune 500 list. Coverage also includes the state regulatory process, with a focus on pipelines and the Iron Range mining industry – iron ore, nickel, taconite and manganese, a key ingredient in electric vehicle batteries.

The successful applicant will have a proven track record in a previous beat and a willingness to dive deeply and aggressively into how energy affects Minnesota’s economy and innovation. Solid news judgment and the drive to produce top-level enterprise are essential. You must be a self-starter, able to react to breaking news – such as rate increases or Xcel Energy’s radioactive water leak at its Monticello nuclear power plant – as well conceptualize in-depth stories that aren’t immediately obvious. Strong news writing and reporting skills are key, along with a demonstrated ability to develop enterprise stories and to make stories stand out digitally.

You must also be able to collaborate on a team with editors, photographers, producers, designers and other reporters.

About us:

Our goals for this position are lofty but also reflect Minnesota’s place as a national leader in business and innovation. The state is home to 18 Fortune 500 companies, including UnitedHealth Group, Target, Best Buy, 3M, CHS, U.S. Bancorp, General Mills, Hormel, Ecolab, Land O’Lakes, Ameriprise Financial and Polaris. Also headquartered here are such industry leaders as the Mayo Clinic, Medtronic, Boston Scientific and Sun Country.

Minnesota also supports a thriving community of startups (insurer Bright Health raised $924 million in its IPO in 2021) and entrepreneurs, with growth often driven by people of color, women and immigrants.

What happens in Minnesota has state, national and global reach.

Other qualifications:

• Skilled and comfortable on all social media platforms, and constantly thinking of the best ways to reach our audience with your stories.
• An excellent writer, able to tackle several complex stories or issues at the same time.
• Willing to collaborate and share ideas with other reporters on your team and across the newsroom.
• Adept at posting quickly to the website and eager to embrace emerging digital story forms, such as newsletters, that help engage new readers.
• A sense of humor, resilience and respect.

To apply, go here.