Intern

Students will be required to meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Students need to demonstrate that they are currently enrolled at a college or university located in Rhode Island, or if the college or university is located outside of Rhode Island, can demonstrate proof of residency.
2. Students must have completed or will complete at least their freshman year of college (24 credits) the semester before the internship.
3. If a student attends a community college (or 2-year associate program) the student must have completed at least 24 credits.
4. Graduate students must be currently enrolled in a master’s degree program or have graduated within one year of applying.

Certain individuals are not eligible to participate in the program:

1. Law School students, Ph. D. candidates, or students who have been previously enrolled or matriculated in a Ph.D. program, are not eligible to participate in the program.
2. Full or part-time employees, both those who have received compensation as well as volunteers, are not eligible to participate in this program at their current employers.
3. Any full-time employee or existing intern that has been on payroll for greater than 12 weeks at a Host Company or has been continuously working at the Host Employer since their last participating session.

To apply for the Clean Energy Internship Program, please follow the instructions below:

Step 1: Create an account and choose a password for your account. Once created, login to fill out the online application and upload all required documentation including a current unofficial transcript, one-page resume and cover letter. Click here to access our cover letter template. These documents should be uploaded in PDF format, if possible. Once approved by program staff, you will be visible to eligible employers. They may contact you for a phone or virtual interview, however, this is not required.

Step 2: The Internships Board will be visible to view any available internships. You can search which internship you are interested in by job type, position location and sector. Reach out to employers you would like to intern with and promptly respond to any employer communications you receive. Proactive students, by far, are the most likely to be placed into internships with host employers. 

Step 3: If the employer wishes to take you on for the session, they will choose to hire you on the portal, so your application will not be seen by other companies. They will then send you an offer letter to sign. You must return your signed offer letter to your employer, who will then submit it to the program staff no later than the session deadline in order to have your funding reserved.

Internship Program Highlights

Program staff will reserve funding for interns to participate in the Clean Energy Internship program. We will not place additional interns once the submission deadline has passed. Be sure to make yourself aware of the important program deadlines, found below.

Important Internship Program Dates

Spring 2024 

· September 18, 2023 – Student and Host Company applications open 
· December 15, 2023 – Student and Host Company applications due 
· January 5, 2024 – Program staff Intern and Host Company selections complete 
· January 19, 2024 – Deadline for signed offer letter submissions to program staff 
· January 22, 2024 – Spring 2024 session begins  
· April 26, 2024 - Spring 2024 session ends  
· May 10, 2024 – Deadline for reimbursement packages 

Summer 2024

· January 26, 2024 – Student and Host Company applications open 
· April 19, 2024 – Student and Host company applications due 
· May 20, 2024 – Program staff intern and Host Company selections complete 
· May 27, 2024 – Deadline for signed offer letter submissions to program staff 
· June 5, 2024 – Summer 2024 session begins  
· September 16, 2024 - Summer 2024 session ends 
· September 30, 2024 – Deadline for reimbursement packages 

Note: The Spring session dates from January 22, 2024 - April 26, 2024 are comprised of a 14-week time period. When accepting a position, you and the intern(s) agree upon a start date for the 12-week internship period during this timeframe. 

Internship Program Participation Steps

1. Register to participate by creating an account and completing the online application. You will also need to upload required documentation including a current unofficial transcript, cover letter and resume. Click here to access our cover letter template.
2. Once you are approved, respond to any employer communications you may receive and reach out to any employers you are interested in working for by viewing the Internships Board.
3. If an employer wishes to take you on for the session, they will send you an offer letter for you to sign. The offer letter must include your name, expected date range to be worked, and wage/hour. You must return your signed offer letter to your employer, who will then submit it to REF no later than the session deadline of May 27, 2024. Program staff will not approve placement of any interns past this date.
4. Only after your signed offer letter has been received by program staff will we be able to officially reserve your funding for the session.
5. Please ensure information on the offer letter is accurate and you are not being asked to sign a non-compete agreement.
6. Enjoy your Internship! Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity by learning valuable skills on the job and by networking with others in the industry.
7. Fill out the student survey – We will provide you with a link to the student survey before the conclusion of the session. Please fill out the form, as it greatly assists in administering this program and making it as successful as possible. The information submitted on this survey is anonymous, and we do not ask for any identifying information.

Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions Document for any additional questions.

The summer of 2019 marked the launch of the Rhode Island Clean Energy Summer Internship Program.  A collaboration between the RI Office of Energy Resources (OER) and the Renewable Energy Fund (REF), this program matches college student applicants or recent graduates with clean energy host companies around Rhode Island for a twelve-week, paid internship. In keeping with the vested interest in expanding the State’s clean energy workforce, this internship program was created with the goal of getting students interested in the clean energy industry, with the intent of sparking a lifelong interest in a clean energy career.

Due to its success, the program was expanded in 2021 to include spring, summer and fall sessions. Since its inception in the summer of 2019, the Rhode Island Clean Energy Internship Program has placed over 84 students and recent graduates at clean energy companies across Rhode Island, with many of those interns going on to receive full or part-time job opportunities at their host companies.

Key Goals:

• Gain significant career opportunities in a challenging work environment
• Support the need for greater diversity in our workforce
• Develop useful skills by participating in projects, gathering and analyzing data, developing communication materials, and much more!

Key Metrics and Results:

Since its launch in 2019, the program has placed nearly 84 interns at 27 different companies, with some receiving full or part-time jobs at their host companies as a result of their internship. For an overview of metrics for the program, please refer to the RI Clean Energy Internship Program Infographic.

Contact Information: Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (RI OER)

Email: abigail.hasenfus@energy.ri.gov