AISES Accepting Applications for Bonneville Power Administration 2016 AISES Summer Internships!

Post Date: November 13 2015

AISES has partnered with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) over the last few years in order to bring summer internships to AISES student members.  BPA is a federal nonprofit agency based in the Pacific Northwest. BPA is part of the U.S. Department of Energy and is self-funded covering its costs by selling its products and services. BPA markets wholesale electrical power from 31 federal hydro projects in the Columbia River Basin, one nonfederal nuclear plant and several other small nonfederal power plants. About one-third of the electric power used in the Northwest comes from BPA. BPA also operates and maintains about three-fourths of the high-voltage transmission in its service territory. BPA’s service territory includes Idaho, Oregon, Washington, western Montana and small parts of eastern Montana, California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.

As part of its responsibilities, BPA promotes energy efficiency, renewable resources and new technologies. The agency also funds regional efforts to protect and rebuild fish and wildlife populations affected by hydroelectric power development in the Columbia River Basin.

BPA Internship Positions Available

Come learn more at our booth at the National Conference in Phoenix on Friday, November 20, 2015!

Two to three positions will be available in BPA’s Transmission Services in the electrical design group and the planning group -- depending on the students’ expertise and interest. The internship will be located in Vancouver, WA (just outside of Portland, OR). Interns will assist senior engineers working on drawings, performing planning functions, design, testing equipment, participating in field visits and other activities related to project development. The ideal student will have a background in electrical, civil or mechanical engineering. 

Another position will be open in BPA’s Fish & Wildlife Program. For this internship, the first and last week are spent at the BPA Headquarters in Portland, OR where the intern is exposed to work completed by the BPA Fish and Wildlife Program – a nearly $300 million annual program that implements fish and wildlife related projects in the region. The majority of the internship is spent at the Cle Elum Supplementation and Research Facility (fish hatchery) located in Cle Elum, WA managed by the Yakama Nation. The intern performs a suite of fish culturist and technician tasks with the Yakama Nation hatchery team as well as partnering state agencies. The intern will learn the importance of supplementation and management actions within the Yakima Basin. Work performed at Cle Elum is integral to the return of salmon to Columbia River tributaries. This internship provides many opportunities to gain hands-on experience with projects, field work, professional development and networking.

All interns will be required to share their summer learning through a final presentation to their peers, BPA project teams and partners.

Internship Eligibility Criteria
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). (Bonneville Power Administration will consider GPAs that fall slightly below requirement).
  • Be enrolled and pursuing a degree in a college or university on a full-time basis.
  • Be a college/university sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student at the time the internship begins. (State Department Intern applicants must have earned at least 60 semester hours prior to their internship.)
  • Desired majors include:  Botany, Natural Resources Sciences, Fish Biology, Aquatic Biology, Wildlife Management, Environmental Sciences, Archeology, Biology, Chemistry, Medical Sciences, Energy-Related Fields, Electrical Engineering, Engineering, and other similar majors.
  • Be a U.S. citizen or, in some cases, a permanent U.S. resident. (A copy of your birth certificate or passport must be uploaded with the application package.)
  • Be a current AISES member.
Interns are provided with the following:
  • Round-trip airfare or mileage to internship site
  • Weekly stipend ($550 per week, depending upon the agency)
  • Lodging is paid for by AISES
  • Local transportation allowance (up to $70 per week)
Internship Terms & Conditions

AISES summer interns agree to the following terms of commitment:

  • Finish the entire 10 weeks of full-time work in the assigned office.  Note: Interns should not take on this commitment if it creates undue hardship or if their personal or financial obligations prevent them from participating for the full 10 consecutive weeks.
  • Work exclusively for the agency assigned.
  • Provide a comprehensive assessment of the program upon its completion.
  • Agree to and abide by the AISES Code of Conduct.

To learn more about what is expected and how/where to apply, please go to:  http://www.aises.org/scholarships/internships

Application Dates:
Applications are now being accepted. The application deadline is January 31, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. MDT. However, getting your application in sooner means that you can be considered/start sooner too!