MassCEC Internship Program Wins Two National Awards

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton today announced MassCEC’s Clean Energy Internship Program won two national awards: the State Leadership in Clean Energy (SLICE) Award from the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) and the National 3iAwards State and Local Project Award from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).

“This recognition highlights the Patrick Administration’s commitment to growing the Commonwealth’s clean energy economy now and for future generations” said Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett, Chair of the MassCEC board. “Giving students an internship experience in the cleantech sector prepares them for the Massachusetts workforce.”

The MassCEC Clean Energy Internship Program connects students and recent graduates with Massachusetts clean energy companies. MassCEC provides companies with a talented pool of young professionals and stipends to pay interns during fall, spring and summer sessions. In turn, the companies provide interns with real-world work experience. Since its inception in 2011, the internship program has placed 952 students or recent graduates at clean energy companies across the Commonwealth, with more than 70 of those interns receiving job opportunities at their host companies.

“Massachusetts’ $10 billion clean energy industry is booming and needs skilled workers,” said Barton. “We’re proud that this program has been successful in providing students with a career path while staffing clean energy companies with high-quality talent to fuel their growth.”

The program aims to prepare the next generation of clean energy workers to work in Massachusetts’ clean energy industry, which employs 88,000 workers and is projected to reach 100,000 workers by 2015. The Massachusetts clean energy industry has grown by 47 percent since 2010.

On Nov. 17 in Annapolis, Md., CESA announced the winners of the 2014 SLICE Awards, which recognized eight outstanding state programs and projects. CESA, a nonprofit coalition of public agencies working together to advance clean energy, established these biennial awards to highlight model programs and projects that have accelerated the adoption of clean energy technologies and strengthened clean energy markets. The recipients of the awards were chosen by an independent panel of five distinguished judges, each with years of experience in clean energy.

“These award winners illustrate the tremendous creativity and commitment being shown by state agencies across the country in implementing clean energy,” said CESA Executive Director Warren Leon. “With eight very different programs highlighting diverse technologies including solar PV, wind, energy storage, hydropower, anaerobic digesters, microgrids, and combined heat and power, the 2014 State Leadership in Clean Energy award winners demonstrate that clean energy can create jobs, clean up the environment, and benefit local economies. These are programs to emulate.”

The “State and Local Project of the Year” Award of the 3iAwards recognizes one clean energy program that is setting the standard for the type of projects that will encourage the growth of the clean energy industry into the future. Voted on for the first time by online voters, the award was presented to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center on Oct. 21, 2014 during an awards ceremony at the Solar Power International conference in Las Vegas.

"We recognize innovative solutions to solving tough problems; we salute the ingenuity of those developing novel concepts and implementing new ideas that advance the use of clean energy; and we thank those who inspire others to make a difference”, said IREC Board Chair David Warner during the ceremony.

The spring session of MassCEC’s internship program is now open for enrollment. For more information visit: www.masscec.com/intern.

The Patrick Administration’s ambitious clean energy initiatives have made Massachusetts a leader in energy efficiency, renewable energy and emissions reductions. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently named Massachusetts number one in the nation for energy efficiency for the fourth consecutive year. In 2007, Massachusetts had just over 3 megawatts each of solar and wind capacity installed. Today, there are 687 megawatts of solar installed, with a goal of 1,600 megawatts by 2020. The Commonwealth has installed 107 megawatts of land-based wind, and is poised to be home to the nation’s first offshore wind farm.