Graduate (3-6 Month) Intern – Production Cost Modeling and Reliability Analysis

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

3d • Onsite

About The Position

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth. At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being. The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) is seeking a motivated Power System Planning Intern to join the Grid Planning and Analysis Center (GPAC) within the Strategic Energy Analysis and Decision Sciences (SEADS) directorate. SEADS leads cutting-edge energy analysis and grid research, applying advanced modeling and simulation to design, plan, and optimize distribution and bulk power systems. As part of GPAC, you’ll support applied research in electric power systems planning—using production cost and resource adequacy models, statistical and data analysis—primarily for transmission planning and data center integration. You’ll collaborate with a dynamic team working with utilities, regulators, and government agencies to deliver insights that enable a reliable, affordable, and resilient grid of the future.

Requirements

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
• Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
• Graduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Graduate: Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
• Graduate + PhD: Completed master’s degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution.
• Please Note: • Applicants are responsible for uploading official or unofficial school transcripts, as part of the application process. • If selected for position, a letter of recommendation will be required as part of the hiring process. • Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date. Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
• Must have completed an undergraduate degree and either: be enrolled in or recently graduated from a master’s degree, or be currently enrolled in a PhD program
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with the application of power systems planning concepts including at least one of the following: Production cost modeling (PCM), Unit commitment/Economic dispatch, Resource Adequacy (RA), Transmission planning, Data center integration, Power systems operations
• Demonstrated experience in script development in languages like Python or Julia, including at least one programming language relevant to simulation, data analysis, visualization, optimization, and/or high-performance computing
• Strong writing, interpersonal, and communication skills

Nice To Haves

• Strong background in power systems
• Experience with code version control using Git/Github
• Experience with open-source software development in Python
• Experience with NLR-developed tools for energy modeling, simulation, and analysis
• Experience with statistic analysis, metrics, etc.

Responsibilities

• Run simulations and analyze data related to production cost and resource adequacy models for bulk transmission systems and data center integration
• Develop modeling and analysis tools, optimization formulation, simulation techniques, and clear, compelling visualizations to communicate research findings.
• Build tools to pull, clean, process, and integrate diverse datasets into existing workflows
• Strengthen GPAC’s capabilities in transmission planning and data center integration through data processing and visualization
• Contribute to ongoing projects by delivering technically rigorous and accessible insights for stakeholders
• Follow all Environment, Safety, and Health policies and procedures to maintain a safe working environment

Benefits

• Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match; and sick leave (where required by law).
• NLR employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component.
• Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement.
• Internships projected to be less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for medical, dental, or vision benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees