Renewables Intern

Overview

Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked very hard to keep Seattle's electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

The Solutions Design and Management Unit in Customer Energy Solutions (CES) is responsible for designing and managing our portfolio of customer-facing energy programs that center our customers' energy needs and further our commitment to our organizational values.

The Renewables Intern position will support the Community Solar and Customer Generation programs within the Renewables Portfolio. This position reports to the Community Solar Program Manager. The intern will support business processes, program development, and stakeholder engagement.

• Support the development of program documentation and business case materials by researching peer utility programs, drafting internal documents, and editing content based on staff feedback.
• Assist in mapping and analyzing business processes and customer journeys by documenting current-state workflows, identifying customer needs, and creating visual process maps.
• Contribute to stakeholder and community engagement efforts by tracking engagement activities, compiling input, developing outreach materials, and drafting communications for internal and external audiences.
• Analyze customer generation data and summarize findings to support program evaluation and design decisions.
• Apply a Race and Social Justice lens to program research and design by identifying equity considerations and barriers to participation in renewable energy programs.

Education: Enrolled in an accredited certificate, 2-year or 4-year undergraduate educational program during their internship.

Preferred Areas of Study: Enrolled in an academic program with focus on public policy, public administration, political science, urban planning, development, energy, environment, sustainability, business economics, communications.

Undergraduate students will need to maintain a 2.0 GPA or above throughout the internship.

• You will be successful if you have the following experience, skills, and abilities.
• Strong interest in community engagement and public service, especially in energy equity and environmental justice.
• Demonstrated ability to support stakeholder engagement efforts, including organizing meetings, taking notes, and tracking feedback. Basic experience with data collection and analysis using Excel, or similar tools.
• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to summarize research and draft reports or outreach materials. Awareness of or interest in Race and Social Justice principles, particularly in the context of energy access and affordability.
• Familiarity with or willingness to learn about distributed energy resources (DERs) such as solar, battery storage, and demand response. Interest in renewable energy policy and the regulatory landscape affecting customer generation and community solar.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a hybrid or remote team environment. Organized, detail-oriented, and eager to learn from cross-functional teams.

Schedule: Intern will work up-to 20 hours/week while school is in session. Up-to 40 hours/week during school breaks. Work hours can be scheduled between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.

Salary: Undergraduate students will be paid $22.56 per hour.

Application Process

• To complete your application, submit the online form with the following attachments:
• Resume
• Cover letter explaining how your coursework, activities, and experience qualify you for this internship.
• Your unofficial transcript - including current coursework, next term registration (if available at the time of application).

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Internship Duration and

Hours:

Year-long:
The timeframe of this internship will be one year in duration, with either a May (semester schools) or June (quarter schools) 2026 start date. Working hours are up to 40 per week during the summer, and a max of 20 per week during the academic year.

Hybrid Work: The City has the expectation that interns will be readily available to report to onsite at work in Seattle in accordance with the current Mayoral mandate of a minimum of 3 days per week. Additional in-person work requirements are based on business need and determined by the hiring authority.

Interns must have a Washington State address and live in Washington State at the time of hire and for the duration of their employment.

Benefits: Interns do not receive benefits but can obtain a subsidized ORCA pass and accrue sick time that can be used after 90 days of employment.

• Professional and educational development
• Meaningful and educational opportunities that compliment…