Creating Equitable Solutions to Climate Change

Planetary Solutions in Clean Energy - Internship and Fellowship Program (PSiCE) offers summer research and internship opportunities to students at Yale who are committed to advancing and pursuing a career in the clean energy field. This year we spoke with students in the initial cohort to learn about their inspiration, goals, and experience through the program.

Clean energy combines two of Maryanne Wu’s favorite interests: physics and history.

“Specifically, innovative engineering drives green progress while collaborating communities make its implementation possible.”

Maryanne, a rising sophomore planning on double majoring in physics and history is taking part in the Planetary Solutions in Clean Energy Internship and Fellowship Program (PSiCE), which offers summer research and internship opportunities to students at Yale who are committed to advancing and pursuing a career in the clean energy field. 

Maryanne’s idea of a just, clean energy transition winds down certain energy sectors, such as coal and oil, and creates opportunities for others, including solar and wind.

“I believe a just transition would make that new space fair—with healthy working conditions, compensation for impacted fossil fuel dependent communities, and opportunities for minority-owned small businesses to access the new market share,” Maryanne said.

“Healthy working conditions should include livable wages, enforced safety standards, etc. Many clean energy programs rely on government funding to jump-start growth; I hope legislators will leverage that power to carve out the guarantees of fairness.” 

Maryanne was drawn to PSiCE by the hands-on experience it offers. She hoped to experience “the reality of such policies and understand the recipients of that funding by working with the delivery of those solutions.”

Through her fellowship with PSiCE, Maryanne worked with Elevate Energy, a Chicago-based company dedicated to creating equitable solutions to climate change that provide healthy, safe, and affordable homes for everyone, according to company CEO Anne Evans. Maryanne worked with Elevate Energy’s workforce and contractor development team, where she collected data to inform improvements for Elevate Energy’s future green job training programs.

“Specifically, I researched previous job retraining programs around the world, as well as collected feedback from participants of Elevate Energy’s previous programs.”

Through PSiCE Maryanne has learned that behind the clean energy transition resides all its component individuals—the students, employers, teachers, organizers, activists, and more—and their independent actions. 

“Though all contribute vastly different products to society, every person plays a necessary role in making a cleaner and healthier future.”

For those interested in the PSiCE program, Maryanne offers this heads-up: “It can be hard to maintain sustained interest in a project. However, I’m glad I didn’t have to worry about that here. Everyone around me, from my host organization to my mentors at CBEY, are incredibly dedicated, kind, and brilliant. I’m really grateful that they’ve not only kept me motivated, but also inspired me to seriously consider a career in clean energy.”