The explosion of ethanol plants will soon be followed by biodiesel plants, anaerobic plants, biomass facilities and large wind farms. Who will operate these facilities? If NRES has it's way, Nebraska students will be highly sought after by these fast growing industries because of their training and experience. Although this represents an outstanding potential goal for the higher education system in the state, there are many different ideas on how this important goal can be achieved.

NRES is taking a multi-faceted approach to this challenge. First, we will support institutions with an interest in enhancing renewable energy (RE) education in their classrooms. This can come in the form of a lecture in a scheduled class (which we have done many times) or supporting the development of course material dealing with these topics in more detail. NRES will also schedule seminars and workshops on selected topics during the year to expose students to the technologies in a real setting and allow them to see what is involved.

Secondly we will facilitate industry and student connection for employment through our extensive networking in the industry and familiarity with RE growth areas. NRES is eager to connect students to the industry and there is no charge for our assistance.

Finally, the NRES Renewable Energy Internship will provide selected students the opportunity to custom design their internship curriculum with us based on interest, career field of study and home institution goals. These goals can include hands on training in most areas of renewable energy production, building understanding and confidence you cannot gain in a classroom. This aspect of this internship opportunity is the hardest to find as well as the most important aspect of the program, giving an edge to anyone wanting to be involved with this industry.

The NRES Internship program is now in its third year and looking to further define how best to accomplish the enormous task of training Nebraska college students for the coming renewable energy industry. We had tremendous success last year under a state grant and are looking to build on those things we learned with last year's program. This year's program will focus on:

• Developing a renewable energy course of study within the students major
• Facilitate employment in existing renewable energy facilities
• Strengthen job finding prospects and provide job finding assistance/reference for Nebraska based bio-Industry
• Include out of state students in selection process instead of Nebraska students only
• Working with the students' geography to find the best fit
• Increase selection criteria for applicants due to demand
• Utilize Energy Farm assets for training and support
• Completing programs set up for college credits during the school year
• Continued major focus of the program will be during the summer months

Interns assembling turbine

Students assembling

Interns dropping wind turbine for maintenance checks at the Energy Farm, summer 2008

Last years program was a great success with many more applicants from Nebraska than were finally selected. With this internship training opportunity, these slots will get very competitive. For the full internship job description, please click here. Contact Robert if you are interested in pursuing such a program though NRES, and fill out the Internship Application and send it in.

Quotes from student reviews from last year's program:

From a student from Arizona:

"I will miss the energy farm very much; not just the farm itself, but also the liveliness and responsibility that comes with living there. It is incredibly rewarding to live on an off-grid farm and grow your own food. The farm was bursting with life, and being surrounded by animals is one aspect I will miss the most. It was a unique and much needed experience that I could not have obtained anywhere else, and I am thankful for the opportunity. It really pays off to see things like the farm energy system in person, and often it is the only way to learn. I would love to return someday. I obtained great experience from working on residential and commercial energy surveys. I've come a long way, and I valued the confidence and trustworthiness placed on me to do my best job. I've gained so much understanding of building energy use and the spectrum of renewable energy options and energy-saving strategies that exist. The process of measuring energy consumption, analyzing the data, and then getting to see our work materialize into real plans and solutions was incredibly rewarding. It is a great way to make a difference, and I have no doubt that I will use this experience in my everyday life and career. I learned what I was expecting to learn about sustainable living and farming, but I also gained some unexpected insight into the incredible determination and physical and mental strength needed to make change in a world so resistant to change. The renewable energy field is not for the faint of heart. Many can agree that it makes good sense, but that does not mean it is easy by any means. I learned that many sacrifices are involved."

From a SUNY student:

"I was a bit skeptical about moving to Nebraska for the summer to work on a renewable energy farm. That skepticism waned upon my arrival to the Midwest. From day one I until the day I left, living on the energy farm never failed to amaze me. I expected to learn a lot about different types of alternative energy. I got a lot more than I bargained for. Raising animals for food and energy and being disconnected from the electric grid made me more aware of how important it is for the future of our country to be more sustainable. It also made me more aware of how capable we are as a nation to harness and use renewable energy. My goal for this summer's internship was to prepare myself for a job related to alternative energy. Now that I am graduated from college and have completed this internship, I feel much more confident in my ability to succeed in the business. I have gained a very broad range of knowledge pertaining to all aspects of alternative energy. The internship gave me much more confidence about going into interviews."

From A Penn State student from Brooklyn:

"Growing up, I never dreamed of ever seeing Nebraska. I never really dreamed of seeing anywhere until college. I took this internship as a way to follow my dream and see the world, which is exactly what the internship proved good for. Before coming to Nebraska to interview for this position, I was more sheltered than I could have imagined. I had never even been in a different time zone! This summer I learned a lot, not only about renewable energy, but also about small town life. Added to my list of "firsts" was having a tab at the local grocery store, eating homegrown food and taking care of livestock. Having never done so many of the things offered in the Midwest helped make living on a farm outside of a small town somewhat exciting. Living off-grid was an adventure in itself and was also a very mind opening experience. It made me more aware of how much people rely on energy. Life without the luxuries of an air conditioner or a television set didn't faze me much, but I never imagined what it would be like to have no power whatsoever. This realization has strengthened my dream of working towards finding and implementing a better alternative to the burning of fossil fuels for energy worldwide."

From a Biological Systems Engineering student from UNL:

"We have had it good for many years, using and misusing fuels supplies at will for countless decades without appreciating the simple forms of energy that are around us. In Nebraska there is a high number of farm animals and with only 1 commercial methane digester that is currently in construction in Grand Island, we rarely use the waste that we get from the farm animals. For my summer internship, I had the opportunity to start constructing a privately owned methane digester that will put to use farm animal waste like cow dung and bird droppings. Methane biogas digesters produce methane gas that can be used to for domestic use similar to the propane gas that we normally use."

From an engineer from University of Minnesota/Twin Cities:

"I learned a lot through this internship. I came into this job blind, not knowing anything about renewable energy. I learned how biodiesel was made, which seeds have more oil, the different preparation processes for each seed, and the future of biodiesel. I became aware of how efficient and productive wind and solar power are. The most important aspect of this internship was actually the living situation. I lived off grid. The house was powered by a 1-kilowatt wind turbine integrated with 500 watts of photovoltaic cells. These devices charged a battery bank that was connected to an inverter. The inverter then provided power to the house. There was a backup biodiesel generator that was used for heavy loads and running water. Because of the limited power I had to be conscious of everything I used. On a day that wasn't windy I would have to make sure I wasn't wasting any energy, because if I wanted to watch television later, read and needed a light, or wanted to work on my computer I needed to make sure there was power for those items to operate. The most valuable tool I learned from this internship was conservation."

From a student from University of Minnesota/Duluth:

"Through both reading and hands on experience, I have learned about various renewable energy types, their basic construction, operation, and benefits. As a result, my interest and intent in learning about this industry will continue after this internship concludes."

From a student from University of Massachusetts:

"Overall, this internship has set me on my way towards a destiny. There's so much to be done, and the world is wide open for those who know what to pursue. I know I must have come a long way, because I convinced my parents to support me in an entrepreneurial effort as opposed to just getting a job."

From a UNL student:

"The internship was ultimately a great success. It was personally fulfilling as I was given the opportunity to explore policy and technology of an emerging market quickly becoming integral to Nebraska's rural economic future. The hands-off oversight of Mr. Byrnes and NRES forced me to be self-reliant and responsible and encouraged personal investment in the project. As such, I would highly recommend the internship."

From a Chemist in a Nebraska state college:

"When I started the internship, I knew nothing about making ethanol. I writing this report, I realized there is no way I could fit everything I've learned into two pages...this report is just a small fraction of what I have learned about the process of making ethanol...What I really liked about the internship was the experience in the laboratory. Before this internship I was always hesitant in the laboratory, lacking confidence is another way to put it. I have more confidence in the laboratory now..."

From a former Natural Resources student at UNL

"Actually being able to use studied theories and information in the field is a whole other story. Being an intern for NRES gave me the proof I needed to be confident in my capability to accomplish anything! It gave me the hands on experience I needed to connect with everything I learned in a classroom and anything I did not know, I was able to research."

From a Nebraska Political Science student

"Secondly, It has shown me a glimpse of the Unicameral and how it works, bringing around the idea that I would like to work in it one day...I would never have learned such skills if it was not for this internship."

From a Wayne State student:

"The internship increased my knowledge on renewable energy, taught me how the different kinds of energy worked and influenced me to do more in the future."

From a UNL student that worked on the Energy Farm:

"Renewable carries the underlying concept of sustainability, which is achieved when decisions are made by people of the current generation to not impede upon the options or opportunities of the future generations. It was this concept of community development that I mark as the most important piece of knowledge that I took away from this internship."

From another UNL student:

"During my 9 month tenure in the program, I have had many different and valuable experiences that have introduced me to the politics and policy challenges facing renewable energy development in Nebraska as well as the United States, given me many contacts and allowed me opportunities to grow on academic, professional and personal levels."

From a computer science student at Dana College:

"This internship has been a very rewarding experience. I am very happy to have been given the chance to share my talents and am grateful for the opportunity to learn so much about renewable energy. This program enabled me to cultivate my understanding of renewable energy and become much more aware of the importance that natural resources play in meeting our world's energy needs. Without a doubt I will carry my experiences this summer with me for the rest of my life."