Summer Intern Series: Claire Williamson
Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Education: American University (Environmental Studies and Economics) and Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs (Master of Public Affairs and Master of Environmental Affairs ‘19)
Worked on: Grant writing for DOE and a foundation for funds to support utilities with integrating energy efficiency with solar + storage and promoting the adoption of tariffed on-bill programs
Future plans: I'd like to return to North Carolina or the Southeast region to work in data analysis, policy design, and or program operations to advance an equitable transition to a clean energy economy.
It felt good to be back home this summer. I’m a native North Carolinian who went to college and worked in DC for eight years before going to grad school at Indiana University in Bloomington. This summer I had the honor to be a part of the hard-working and all around awesome NCSEA Market Innovation team. My contributions included helping to write two grants to fund the development of inclusive program models that integrate solar + storage, community solar, residential health and safety upgrades, and tariffed on-bill energy efficiency for rural electric cooperatives. I also investigated business opportunities for NCSEA to perform utility bill-based measurement and verification analysis for the state-run Weatherization Assistance Project.
I graduate in December 2019 with dual master’s degrees in public policy and environmental science from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. I leave school with strong data analysis skills and research methodology, experience with program implementation, integrated resource planning, and policy development. My goal is to find an organization where I can work on a team to apply my skills, continue to learn, and make a contribution to the development of a clean energy economy in the southeast and beyond.
When I’m not working, you can find me doing yoga, boxing, working with my sister on a podcast and staying connected to my big extended family.