DURHAM, N.C. – Alex Klonick, a second-year Master of Environmental Management student at 91’s Nicholas School of the Environment, has been selected to take part in the , a prestigious nationwide program designed to help graduate students with a demonstrated interest in renewable energy establish careers in the field.
 
The program, which named seven student Scholars this year, is run by , a developer of utility-scale solar projects across the country, and , a nonprofit dedicated to building students’ and young professionals’ environmental careers.

As part of the program, Scholars receive career guidance from professionals at OneEnergy Renewables, attend the Net Impact annual conference, and have the opportunity to complete internships with OneEnergy.

Klonick and the other six recently named Scholars were recognized at the 2016 Net Impact conference in Philadelphia last November. Since then, he has been able to use the award to network with renewable energy professionals and explore career options in the renewable energy sector.

“This award allows me the opportunity to get more real-world experience and networking, especially with the rest of the other Scholars, who are all doing really interesting things,” he says. “This program allows me to go beyond the classroom to see what’s out there in the renewable energy space.”

One highlight so far, Klonick says, was visiting PJM Interconnection, a regional transmission organization that manages an electrical power system serving more than 61 million people in 13 states and Washington, D.C. Having the opportunity to see firsthand the inner workings of the nation’s largest wholesale electricity market was invaluable, he says.

In addition to completing his MEM at the Nicholas School, Klonick currently works as a remote consultant for the (RMI), where he completed an 11-week Stanback Internship last summer.

Though he already has a job lined up post-graduation as an associate with RMI, Klonick hopes to continue to take advantage of the many networking and career-building opportunities offered through the OneEnergy Scholars Program to further develop his career.

“The OneEnergy Scholars program supports students like Alex who have both the ability to excel in the clean energy sector and the passion to make a difference,” OneEnergy Renewables President Bill Eddie says.

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by Kati Moore (MEM'16)