In the US and across the world, communities of color are disproportionally affected by issues related to climate change and environmental degradation. Yet, action and support are not happening at the pace required and the environmental space addressing these issues remains dominated by white voices. WRI is creating access and opportunity to harness the power, creativity, and innovation of diversity by increasing representation of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in the environmental space. We need a diverse set of voices to solve climate change and that begins with you.  

Internships at WRI are learning experiences designed for current students, recent graduates, and other candidates who wish to gain knowledge about a specific area of our work. We strive to attract diverse, intellectually driven candidates who have a passion for sustainability and development. WRI provides many internship opportunities throughout the year in all our programs.  

Internship Summary

As the U.S. Energy intern, you will provide research needed to support the Energy Team’s various projects across the U.S., with two of particular focus.  The majority of your work will focus on research support for 1) local county and city school districts planning electrically and financially for electrification of school bus fleets with the Bezos Electric School Bus Initiative and 2) helping with research and delivery of webinar series on curbside charging planning and development for city energy/fleet managers for downtown districts and residential neighborhoods per UPS Foundation outreach goals.   

Examples of research support will include best practices and case studies for determining system size and cost of electrical infrastructure equipment for school busses depots and smaller systems attached to existing streetlights in urban areas, financing mechanisms, and emissions benefits of transition away from fossil fuel-powered buses and personal vehicles.

Time permitting, there may be additional research support activities across the Energy Program and WRI’s Ross Center for Sustainable Cities.

The application deadline for this internship is April 25, 2021.

Learning Outcomes

The intern will gain experience in the following areas:

• Providing research support for school districts, counties, and cities looking to procure electric vehicle charging infrastructure
• Electrical infrastructure charging systems, system sizing for bus fleets and individual personal vehicles
• Supporting the organization and implementation of a webinar series with city stakeholders focused on curbside charging planning and implementation
• Tracking new EV, battery and system charging technologies in the broader EV industry