LANSING — The Michigan Agency for Energy has announced the launch of its Student Internship Program and is now accepting proposals for student help on energy-saving projects.
The program offers technical assistance in energy efficiency work for manufacturing companies and agribusinesses. The students invovled get real-world work experience.
Michigan-based manufacturing industries or agribusinesses that employ less than 500 people and are in compliance with state laws are eligible to apply.
The proposed project must result in measurable energy savings and cost reduction for the business. Also, impacted facilities must be occupied and should have long range plans of continued use.
Applicants must be willing to share at least 12 months of energy use and cost data before and after the proposed energy efficiency project. Projects must be transferable and should have the potential to serve as demonstrations to be shared with similar businesses.
Applicants must also be willing to provide facility access and cooperation for future site visits, case studies, and field days.
Once a proposal is approved, the Energy Office will work with Michigan universities that have accredited undergraduate engineering programs in mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil, environmental or agricultural engineering to find a suitable student intern.
The MEO will compensate student interns for implementing approved energy efficiency projects. However, the program does not offer any financial assistance to implement the energy efficiency project itself.
Interns will be placed at their assigned worksites as early as May 2016 and will work up to 40 hours per week for a 12 week period. Both the intern and the company representative (preferably the intern’s immediate supervisor) are required to attend a joint orientation hosted by the MEO. The orientation allows both the student and the company to understand the program requirements, deliverables, and other expectations.
Applicant questions are due via email by Nov. 9 to thomasm28@michigan.gov. Questions and answers will be posted to the project web site by Nov. 13. The proposal submission deadline is 4 p.m. Dec. 15. Mail or hand deliver hard copy proposals to Mathew Thomas, Michigan Energy Office, Michigan Agency for Energy, 7109 W. Saginaw Highway, Lansing, MI 48917.
More inforation is available at the project solicitation web site.