2020 Stanford Energy Internships in California and the West: Western Electricity Coordinating Council
State- and city-level efforts are essential in our fight against climate change, especially in the field of energy. Stanford Energy Internships in California and the West (SEICW)—an energy-related summer internship program—places some of Stanford University’s best students in key and influential positions in the local energy and climate-related ecosystem. This position is funded. You will be one of two Stanford students placed at WECC in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The program runs from Monday, June 22, 2020 to Friday, August 28, 2020.
Western Electricity Coordinating Council
The Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) promotes Bulk Electric System reliability in the Western Interconnection. WECC is the regional entity responsible for compliance monitoring and enforcement. In addition, WECC provides an environment for the development of reliability standards and the coordination of the operating and planning activities of its members as set forth in the WECC Bylaws.
WECC is geographically the largest and most diverse of the eight regional entities with delegated authority from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The WECC region extends from Canada to Mexico and includes the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, the northern portion of Baja California, Mexico, and all or portions of the 14 Western states between.
The mission of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council is to promote and foster a reliable and efficient Bulk Electric System. WECC’s vision is to lead its stakeholders to achieve optimal system reliability, be the premier source of unbiased information, and serve as the trusted thought leader for the Western Interconnection.
For more information visit the WECC homepage: www.wecc.org
WECC Mentor
Matthew Elkins, Manager – Performance Analysis, will act as the student mentor for this project. Mr. Elkins manages the Performance Analysis department, an area that looks at the historical performance of the Bulk Power System using data collected from electric utilities throughout the interconnection. The team conducts robust analyses on the historical operation and performance of the system and is also working on “predictive analytics” to look for trends and patterns to determine if the risk power system outages is increasing. The historical data collected are used to conduct forward-looking analysis to identify potential future reliability impacts. The Performance Analysis area is a critical contributor delivering insight and analysis to industry stakeholders.
Prior to joining WECC, Mr. Elkins was the Manager of Planning and Financial Analysis at PacifiCorp. Matthew holds a M.S. in Econ
Internship Project
The energy resource mix in the Western Interconnection is changing rapidly as environmental regulations, economics, technology, and customer demands drive this resource mix from large, baseload units (e.g., coal, nuclear) toward more distributed, variable energy resources. The goal of this project is to assist in the study of future resource adequacy in the Western Interconnection. Students will have an opportunity to work with WECC subject matter experts to collect and compile load and resource data, run stochastic computer simulations using the data, and interpret and present simulation results in a way to influence key industry stakeholders.
This project will provide students with the autonomy to be creative in their independent research and experience developing a practical reliability assessment. The students will have the opportunity to learn how new assessments are developed, approved, and incorporated into WECC’s mission of a reliable interconnection. At the end of a successful project, the students will feel that they are a part of the WECC team and have made a significant contribution to enhancing regional reliability in the Western Interconnection.
The ideal student candidates will have the following skills and knowledge:
SKILLS:
- Good research and analytic skills including use of analytical software(s).
- Good written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience using Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a research team.
- Ability to automate and post process data using visual basic/python or other programming language.
KNOWLEDGE:
- Interest in economics, engineering, or related fields.
- Interest in working on electricity reliability issues.
- Interest in working with energy planners in the western interconnection.
All SEICW students must be enrolled in the spring quarter before their SEICW internship. Absolutely no exceptions are made to this rule.
All SEICW students must take a one-unit workshop spring course, 'Energy Policy in California and the West' taught by Bruce Cain and Sally Benson that will provide an in-depth analysis of the role of California state agencies, the Western Interstate Energy Board, and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council in driving energy policy development, technology innovation, and market structures. Course number is CEE 263G / POLISCI 73 / PUBLPOL 73. This course must be taken in person.
Please note that this opportunity is for graduate students. Interested undergraduates can apply for other SEICW opportunities via SIG.