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Program

Planetary Solutions in Clean Energy

Summer Internship and Fellowship Program

Field Trip group by pond

Do you believe clean energy can advance racial, economic, and environmental justice?

We do too!

That’s why the Yale Center for Business and the Environment is thrilled to offer Planetary Solutions in Clean Energy. This program offers summer research and internship opportunities to students at Yale who are committed to advancing energy equity and pursuing a career in the clean energy field. 

Selected interns and research fellows will each receive:

  • a $10,000 stipend for the summer.
  • supervision and guidance, and share and learn from peers in weekly meetings as a cohort.
  • support and guidance from Rob Klee, Yale lecturer and former Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

These opportunities will focus on energy justice, scalable decarbonization innovations, municipalities, and sub-national actors moving on climate change solutions, or beyond.  We partner with non-profit, low-profit, and governmental organizations that are committed to energy equity and the investment in and deployment of clean energy into low- and middle-income communities.

Note:

  • This program supports a total of eight (8) interns/fellows for the summer period.
  • Students with financial need and those who are under-represented in the field of clean energy are strongly encouraged to apply. 
  • These opportunities are open to returning Yale students. Graduating students are not eligible.

Answers to some FAQs

  • Yes, you can apply to multiple opportunities, but you can only participate in one.
  • Application instructions vary for each and are noted within each opportunity. You must copy CBEY on each of your applications.
  • Opportunities are open to both undergraduates and graduates.
  • The deadline for applications is 11:59 PM ET on Monday, February 19, 2024. See the blue box below for a complete timeline.

More questions?  Rob Klee is the person to ask regarding content.  Heather Fitzgerald is the contact for questions on process and logistics.

Application Timeline

 

  • January 22nd - applications open
  • February 19th (11:59 PM ET) - applications close
  • January 23rd - March 4th - rolling interviews (given these are rolling, please get your materials in as soon as possible!)
  • Decisions sent on or about March 11th

Cohort Agenda

In addition to working at the host organization or on the proposed research question over the summer, we build a cohort-based experience for participating students. We believe that the most benefit comes when students are well-supported by mentors and have the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with their peers.  The below is our framework in support of this effort:

  • Welcome lunch at the end of April/early May, once the cohort is finalized (students + CBEY team)
  • Clean energy field trip and hike in Connecticut in mid June/July (students + CBEY team)
  • Official start of 10-week summer internship or research fellowship on or about May 31st
  • Weekly check-in as a group on progress-to-date and plans going forward, likely Monday mornings, for 1 hour, from 9 am – 10 am ET (students + Rob Klee)
  • Weekly “brown bag” lunches with a guest from one of our eight host organizations to talk about their work, a challenge they are facing, and how this internship is helping, and open Q&A, likely Tuesdays, for 1 hour between 11 am – 2 pm ET (students + hosts + CBEY team)  
  • Weekly one-on-one mentorship meetings with Rob Klee, for 30 minutes, likely towards the end of the week, flexibly scheduled (individual student + Rob Klee)
  • Official end of the 10-week summer internship or research fellowship on or about August 4th
  • Fall Showcase, where students are invited to present their “culminating piece*” from their summer work, in November alongside Yale's Clean Energy Conference (students, hosts, CBEY team, and other interested members of the Yale clean energy community).  

*The “culminating piece” from the students’ summer work could be something they create while on the job for their host, such as a white paper, guide, policy memo, or the like. Or, it could be an academic poster, a talk with slides, art project, video blog, social media campaign, op-ed article, news article, peer-reviewed article draft, or any other creative content.

Watch us on our field trip!

 

Watch us on our field trip!

Watch this video featuring our first cohort on a field trip to Quantum Biopower and Sessions Woods. We had an excellent time learning about biodigesters and solar arrays....and we also ate some ice cream...

Previous Cohorts

Summer 2023 Cohort

Summer 2022 Cohort

Previous Events

People & Partners

Robert J. Klee

Lecturer at Yale School of the Environment
Managing Director of Clean Energy Programming at Yale Center for Business and the Environment
Ph.D. 2005
J.D. 2004
Master of Environmental Management 1999

Stuart DeCew

Executive Director at Yale Center for Business and the Environment
MBA 2011
Master of Environmental Management 2011

Heather Fitzgerald

Managing Director at Yale Center for Business and the Environment
Staff Lead, Business and the Environment Learning Community at Yale School of the Environment

Coral Bielecki

Online Programs Director at Yale Center for Business and the Environment
Master of Environmental Science 2018

Julia Nojeim

Clean Energy Coordinator at Yale Center for Business and the Environment
Master of Environmental Management 2021

Kathy Hoegler

Program Associate at Yale Center for Business and the Environment