Job Description : |
Internship Summary:
Applicants must be a current student enrolled in Heinz College’s Public Policy & Management Washington D.C. pathway.
As the Financial Solutions Fellow, you will lead a research project on the economic case for electric school buses. Specific attention will be dedicated to understanding if and how this might differ for districts that serve low-income or disadvantaged communities. You will conduct total cost of ownership analysis of representative electric school bus use cases and their diesel counterparts. This analysis will illustrate how variations in local market conditions affect the economic viability of electric school buses and will highlight levers policymakers and regulators can employ to improve these conditions. Utilizing this analysis, you will prepare a working paper and accompanying briefing materials to convey key recommendations for relevant stakeholders on findings and best practices for improving the economic case for electric school buses. Your other duties may include investigating environmental and electricity market value streams, such as payments for vehicle-to-grid services; leading educational webinars to train stakeholders on tools and findings from research; engaging directly with stakeholders such as electric utilities, government agencies, and on-the-ground advocates; other research as needed.
Internship Learning Outcomes:
You will gain experience in the following areas:
Utilizing a discounted cash flow model to conduct total cost of ownership analysis
Deciphering electric utility tariffs and programs
Conducting analysis of potential value streams for school bus electrification, such as review of environmental markets, and assessment of barriers to access, especially as relates to disadvantaged communities
Creating educational materials (such as webinars or blogs) directed towards school districts and/or policymakers
Communicating complex information to diverse audiences
Internship Qualifications:
You must be a current student enrolled in Heinz College’s Public Policy & Management Washington D.C. pathway.
Substantive interest in and/or exposure to transportation, electricity, and/or climate policy
Experience with, or interest in developing skills in, financial modeling
Compensation
The pay range for this internship opportunity is between $15-18/hour, commensurate with qualifications.
Duration and Location
This is a 30 hours per week/ part-time, 6-months internship with flexible start and end dates based on the student’s availability and need for the project.
Term: DC Fellows (September – early May)
Work Days: Monday-Thursday, approximately 30-32 hours per week. Students will have required classes two evenings a week and on Fridays.
This is a remote-based internship with the option to work out of the Washington D.C. office once it reopens.
WRI will provide a laptop for the duration of your internship.
How to Apply
Please submit a resume and cover letter. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.
Program Overview (for Internship):
The 480,000 school buses in the United States account for 80% of all buses nationwide, yet less than 1% are electrified. School bus electrification represents a unique opportunity to accelerate decarbonization while bringing direct, tangible benefits to every community in the United States. This transition can help make electric mobility the new normal for an entire generation. Through the U.S. Electric School Bus Initiative, funded by the Bezos Earth Fund, WRI’s aim is to create unstoppable momentum over the next five years on a path toward electrifying the entire fleet of U.S. school buses by 2030. Overcoming the cost, infrastructure and policy barriers to mass adoption will require a systemic approach that engages an entire ecosystem of actors and prioritizes inclusive planning with impacted communities.
WRI will achieve this by partnering with key stakeholders and project partners to work on five key pillars:
1) aggregate demand
2) scale manufacturing
3) develop innovative financing models
4) influence federal and state policy
5) galvanize communities and stakeholders to push for an equitable and comprehensive shift towards electric school buses
WRI Overview
World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. We are working to address critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.
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.
WRI is committed to advancing gender, racial, and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. |