2025 ACEP Summer Internship Program

Mentor: Magnus De Witt
Location: Fairbanks
Key themes: geothermal, data analysis, renewable energy, greenhouse gas, lifecycle report
Strand: REU

This project aims to evaluate the greenhouse gas (GHG) outputs during the lifecycle of geothermal power plants. There are many GHG life cycle studies for different energy generation technologies, and in previous studies, all different geothermal technologies were evaluated as one. The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) made an effort several years ago to assess the GHG lifecycle of different geothermal technologies. Since the study was executed, we have seen increased development in the geothermal field. We aim to update the previous study and include new emerging geothermal technologies such as magmatic geothermal or closed-loop geothermal radiators.

Through this internship, a student will develop a report on the GHG emissions through the lifecycle of different geothermal technologies. This includes the construction phase, production phase, and decommissioning of the infrastructure at the end of the lifetime. The report's main goal is to compare the different geothermal technologies in terms of emissions. This will also help compare different geothermal options with other energy generation technologies. Furthermore, the report should highlight the technological development over time, focusing on GHG emissions. 

Relevant majors and skills: This internship is open to a variety of majors, and economics, engineering, geothermal, or natural sciences are particularly well suited. 

Work setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office. Mentorship will be in person.

Mentor: Magnus De Witt
Location: Fairbanks
Key topics: geothermal, magmatic geothermal, data analysis, economics, engineering, feasibility reports
Strand: REU

This project aims to analyze the geothermal to X potential in the Aleutians for marine purposes. A particular focus lies on the emerging technology of magmatic geothermal, which will be a game changer in the field of geothermal. This research aims to evaluate future scenarios of sustainable shipping in the Arctic Ocean. With the opening of the Northern Sea Route, new possibilities might arise for Alaska. Alaska and the Aleutians are at the gateway to the Arctic Ocean. This unique location makes the Aleutians potentially a strategic refueling point for maritime transportation. The vast geothermal potential in that area could bear the opportunity for e-fuel production. To examine the viability of geothermal to X for maritime purposes, a cost-benefit study will be executed, which includes potential markets, local/global benefits, risks, social impact, environmental impact, and economic impact.

Through this internship, a student will develop a report evaluating the future feasibility of geothermal to X, consisting of an underlying estimation if there will be a potential demand for refueling if the Northern Sea Route opens and how high that demand might be. An economic analysis will evaluate the feasibility under the expected demand scenario. Furthermore, such a project's local and global socio-economic impact should be evaluated. The final part of the results should discuss which research questions have to be answered regarding geothermal to X in the Aleutians. 

Relevant majors and skills: This internship is open to a variety of majors, and economics, engineering, geothermal, or natural sciences are particularly well suited. 

Work setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office. Mentorship will be in person.

Mentor: Elizabeth Dobbins
Location: Fairbanks
Key topics: metadata, provenance, data governance, data management
Strand: REU

Data collection and analysis have always been critical to ACEP’s mission and research style. ACEP's Data and Cyberinfrastructure Management team (DCM, aka "Data Ducts") includes software developers, mathematicians, spatial analysts, open science enthusiasts, and experts in information security and the deployment of computer infrastructure. The types of research projects we support are equally varied. 

This summer, a data librarian intern will join the team to support existing projects with expertise in metadata preparation, documentation, data processing pipelines, or spatial data. The specific nature of the work will be tailored to the skills and interests of the intern, but it will focus on ensuring reproducible research and creating data resources that are Findable-Accessible-Interoperable-Reusable (FAIR). Previous projects have included creating an inventory of existing ACEP datasets and an exploration of a data catalog application called CKAN. Both projects have helped ACEP refine its current data handling capacity and offered ways to improve research in the future. 

Familiarity with metadata standards like DCAT and Frictionless, git version control, and/or programming skills in Python and SQL provide one pathway to contribute. However, knowledge of economics, energy policy, or intellectual property could be equally valuable depending on the project.

Relevant Majors and Skills: The ideal candidate will be studying data management, computer science, economics, or policy. The ideal candidate will be interested in learning and practicing best approaches to scientific data management and data governance for a dynamic research institute with a large diversity of data needs. The intern will be most successful when providing data management and archiving guidance to peers in a supportive and service-oriented way. They will be curious about research, technology, and information management.

Work setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office. Mentorship will be in person.

Mentors: Elizabeth Dobbins and Emilia Hernandez
Location: Fairbanks
Key Themes: data visualization, electrical engineering, power electronics, diesel generators, protection
Strand: REU

As renewable technologies drive the electrification of energy systems, dealing with short circuits or faults becomes critical to the stability of the grid. What happens during a fault or other electrical disturbance? How do power electronics and diesel generators return the grid to a normal state? These questions are hard to answer because of the variety of equipment that comprises the grid and the speed with which fault conditions develop and, hopefully, resolve. Investigations involve high-frequency measurements that generate enormous amounts of data.

The Power Systems Integration Laboratory at the Energy Test Facility on the UAF campus can emulate an isolated hybrid wind, solar, diesel, and battery energy storage grid. This grid can be modified for test scenarios such as load steps, change in generation mix, and even faults. The response of the grid is measured by embedded sensors. This project aims to transform these measurements into interactive visualizations that tell a meaningful story to researchers. Potential interns should have experience with large data in formats like netCDF or super-high resolution output .mat formatted data (from oscilloscopes, for example). Experience with scientific computing tools such as Matlab, Python, or R is required, along with an interest in creating graphs or data driven dashboards. Solutions that build off of the lab's existing R visualization tool will be explored with coordinated support from ACEP's Energy Test Facility staff and Data and Cyberinfrastructure Management team.

Relevant Majors and Skills: This project is suitable for a variety of majors including electrical engineering, computer science, statistics, mathematics, or a similar field.

Work Setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office. Mentorship will be in person.

Mentors: Emilia Hernandez
Location: Fairbanks
Key Themes: history of energy, science storytelling, archival research, tourism, innovation, engineering, communication
Strand: REU

Fairbanks is full of interesting energy infrastructure and history. This includes both fossil energy infrastructure such as the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and the youngest coal-powered plant in the United States, renewable technology such as the Eva Creek wind farm, and energy storage and protection infrastructure that enables the integration of diverse fuel sources such as the Golden Valley Electric Association battery. These features of the built environment may go unnoticed but are both technically and historically significant. The internship project will document and share interesting facts that tell the stories of some of these features of the Fairbanks environment.

The project will include a combination of local field work and archival research. The intern will create a field guide that can be used by high school students living in or visiting Fairbanks and other individuals interested in Fairbanks energy infrastructure. Experience in the tourism industry is a plus!

Relevant Majors and Skills: This project is seeking an individual who is passionate about interdisciplinary aspects of energy innovation, history, and science storytelling. It is not bound to a particular field of study and is ideally suited for someone who is inquisitive, creative, and can translate between technical science and engaging the general public. Possible majors include engineering, history, social science, or natural sciences. Individuals with experience in digital storytelling, media, or journalism are encouraged to apply.

Work setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office. Mentorship will be in person.

Mentor: Steph Fisher and Leo Aziz
Location: Fairbanks
Key Themes: hydrokinetics, test site, field work, hydrological data collection, 3D modeling
Strand: REU

This internship gives a student the opportunity to work at an active hydrokinetic test site, in the Pacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC) shop, and on other oceanographic or inter-rivine projects doing field work, data collection, problem solving, and other tasks that a student would often learn when they enter the workforce in a related field. This internship includes a lot of hands-on work with tools, different materials, and a wide range of instruments used in hydrological data collection. Students will spend several days job shadowing a PMEC engineer and a PMEC project manager to see how projects work from start to finish. Students will scale up 3D model of the Tanana River Test Site (TRTS) from a small model to a larger scale model and add additional TRTS infrastructure to the model. This internship will take place in the field (day trips), with some office work, and possible remote field work in Galena, Alaska.

Relevant majors and skills: This internship is open to any major, though fisheries, mechanical engineering, ocean engineering, and marine science are particularly well suited. The candidate must be able and willing to spend their summer outdoors on the river. Prior experience with 3D printing and makerspaces is highly desired. The intern should have a growth mindset and desire to learn the ins and outs of fieldwork, with some background in computer programming, and strong communication skills.

Work Setting: This internship will be based primarily at the ACEP Fairbanks office, with trips driving to the Tanana River Test Site, 55 miles outside of Fairbanks. This position requires that the individual is comfortable on moving water, able to lift a minimum of 25lbs, can maneuver large and cumbersome equipment, and has a current driver’s license. This internship is based in Fairbanks with an in-person mentor.

Mentor: Ben Loeffler
Location: Fairbanks
Key themes: marine energy, hydrokinetics, field work, data processing
Strand: AUSI

Woody debris poses a significant challenge to reliable deployment of hydrokinetic turbines in Alaska rivers. The intern will work with Pacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC) researchers to deploy acoustic and optical cameras to develop methods for detecting surface and submerged woody debris at ACEP’s Tanana River Test Site in Nenana, Alaska. Testing will include introduction of known targets into the sensors' fields of view to produce validation data sets. This data will be used to develop debris identification, tracking, and path prediction algorithms.

This internship provides the opportunity to participate in field work on the Tanana River, work hands-on with instrumentation, and contribute to data analysis and validation efforts. The data and analysis conducted under this effort will inform future riverine energy research and development at UAF as well as community-led pilot projects currently in the early stages of development.

Relevant majors and skills: Engineering, data science, computer science, or similar degree. The ideal candidate will have experience coding in Matlab or Python and an interest in field work, designing experiments, and processing data. Intern is expected to work collaboratively to support field work planning and data collection efforts and to work independently on data analysis.

Work setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office with frequent day-trip visits to the Tanana River Test Site in Nenana, Alaska. Mentorship will be predominantly in person.

Mentor: Shivani Bhagat
Location: Anchorage (housing and transportation to Alaska not provided)
Key Themes: economics, heat pumps, data analysis, energy transition
Strand: AUSI

Utilities managing microgrids in Alaska stand to benefit significantly from encouraging adoption of beneficial electrification technologies such as heat pumps in their customer base. For customers, heat pumps can help offset high-priced heating fuels such as fuel oil and reduce harmful indoor emissions by fuel switching from wood. Moreover, heat pumps contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with broader sustainability objectives. More recently, several microgrid communities across Alaska have received federal funding to install heat pumps in communities across Southeast, Southcentral, coastal and Northwest Alaska over the next three years. As these communities install heat pumps across homes in Alaska, it is critical for these communities to understand the impacts and opportunities for heat pumps in Alaska microgrids.

This summer, the intern will conduct a research study to determine the economic and financial impacts, and analyze the costs and benefits of heat pump installations in Alaska microgrids on utilities and their customers. Previous work identified rate structures which can be beneficial for utilities and customers to encourage heat pump adoption. This research will understand the impacts of such rate structures on communities and their adoption behavior.

The project will help the intern develop literature review, data analysis and presentation skills.

Relevant majors and skills: This internship is open to a variety of majors, though data science, statistics and economics majors are particularly well suited. This is a unique opportunity for a candidate interested in econometric or statistical modeling. A background or interest in energy is preferred. Experience with or knowledge of programming languages such as Python, or R or another statistical programming language are preferred.

Work setting: This internship will work at the ACEP Anchorage satellite office at University of Alaska Anchorage. Mentorship is virtual with a mentor who is based in Ketchikan. Anchorage-based interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation, and UAA students or Anchorage residents are prioritized.

Mentor: Chandler Kemp
Location: Anchorage (housing and transportation to Alaska not provided)
Key Themes: engineering, mariculture, efficiency, modeling, python
Strand: AUSI

Shellfish and seafood farming in Alaska is at an inflection point. Thanks to a $49 million investment from the Build Back Better program, the industry is poised for rapid growth. Without intervention, it would expand with dependence on fossil fuels and conventional energy technologies. The Green Energy in Mariculture project is a rare opportunity to provide the industry with efficiency and renewable energy considerations as it grows.

Over 2024 and spring of 2025, the University of Alaska green energy in mariculture team is compiling information documenting baseline energy use in mariculture in Alaska. The data include qualitative interviews with farmers and processors, semi-quantitative surveys, and quantitative data logs of fuel use. The intern’s challenge will be to work with all three data types to understand current energy use and identify promising energy efficiency measures.

After identifying a sample of potential efficiency measures, the intern will communicate with the GEM project team, farmers, and technology providers to narrow the list to two-three of the most feasible and impactful opportunities. With support from the GEM team, the intern will then develop a mathematical model to quantify the energy savings, emission reductions and economic impact of implementing the efficiency measure at scale.

The final product will be a report that describes the efficiency opportunities and quantifies the impact. The intern will also present their results to the farmers and technology providers that they worked with, and their report will be integrated into the final Green Energy Plan developed to be finalized by the GEM team in 2026.

Relevant majors and skills: This internship is open to a variety of majors, though engineering, energy resource engineering, data science, or computer science are particularly well suited. This is a unique opportunity for a candidate interested in blending stakeholder engagement and mathematical modeling. A background or interest in mariculture is preferred.

Work setting: This internship will work at the ACEP Anchorage satellite office at University of Alaska Anchorage. Mentorship is predominantly virtual with a mentor who is based in Dillingham/Anchorage. Anchorage-based interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation, and UAA students or Anchorage residents are prioritized.

Mentor: John Haverlack
Location: Fairbanks
Key Themes: cybersecurity, networking, command line linux, hacking
Strand: REU

This summer's cybersecurity challenge will be a hands-on cybersecurity hacking and defending exercise conducted in a training ground network. This will allow interns to gain real-world experience in a cyber safe space. A team of four interns will be challenged to test their skills in both defending and attacking network systems after spending the early weeks of their internship learning new skills.

Cybersecurity is a complex topic with many potential areas for interns to explore. This year’s red - blue team challenge is designed up front to have lots of time to play and explore and learn how to grow hacking and defending skills. Interns will get hands-on experience to help demystify some of the more obtuse aspects of cybersecurity.

Interns will develop a solid foundation of network and Linux security skills that can be applied to wide ranges of services and systems. In the second half of the internship interns will develop some more advanced cybersecurity skills with firewalls and proactive security scanning and intrusion detection.

The final product for the interns will be to develop and conduct a red - blue team challenge event with invited participation from other ACEP interns, as well as faculty, staff and students from across the UAF campus to participate, and pass on the experience of their internship on to others.

Relevant majors and skills: Computer science, computer engineering, programming, IP networking, critical thinking.

Work setting: The interns will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office. Mentorship will be in person. This opportunity is primarily desk work and involves deep teamwork and collaboration.

Mentor: Phylicia Cicilio
Location: Fairbanks
Key Themes: data science, computer science, DERMS, utility, forecasting
Strand: AUSI

Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) are tools or programs that enable distributed energy resources and certain types of loads, like electric hot water heaters or heat pumps, to be controlled to change their output to provide important grid ancillary services to the electric grid. These DERMS can be run by utilities, such as Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) in Fairbanks, to provide grid ancillary services which can facilitate greater adoption of distributed energy resources (such as residential solar energy) and provide greater value than just energy to the utility to support reliable electric grid operations.

GVEA’s mission is to safely provide its member-owners with reliable electric service, quality customer service, and innovative energy solutions at fair and reasonable prices. The cooperative operates and maintains 3,261 miles of transmission and distribution lines, 35 substations and nine generating facilities. Its system is interconnected with Fort Wainwright, Eielson Air Force Base, Fort Greely, the University of Alaska Fairbanks and all electric utilities in the Alaska Railbelt, which extends from Homer to Fairbanks. GVEA’s peak load in 2018 was 196.6 megawatts (MW). The system peak of 223 MW was set in December 2007.

GVEA is interested in performing a valuation of a DERMS program. This valuation will include: collecting information about what DERMS platforms are available, collecting the costs to run such a program, determining what grid services could be provided by DERMS, determining what the technical capabilities of those grid services could be, and performing a historical back-cast of how often services from a DERMS program could have been used by GVEA. The outcome of the valuation will be an estimation of the costs to run a DERMS program and how often and how the services from a DERMS program could be used by GVEA.

This intern will learn how to collect and organize information and manage, manipulate, and analyze lots of data. ACEP has a strong team of people with data analysis and management skills beyond the mentor who can provide support. This intern will need to be creative, come to the table with ideas, and be comfortable researching how other utilities and companies have implemented DERMS programs. It is very important for this intern to approach the valuation objectively and prioritize documentation.

Relevant majors and skills: Data science, computer science, or similar degree. The ideal intern enjoys working with large datasets, creative problem solving, and understands the importance of documentation. This project is a unique opportunity to participate in energy research while working directly with a local utility.

Work setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office with frequent visits to GVEA. Mentorship will be a blend of in-person and virtual.

Mentor: Phylicia Cicilio
Location: Fairbanks
Key Themes: data science, computer science, utility, python, forecasting
Strand: AUSI

Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) has approximately 5 MW of distributed solar energy spread through its service area. Currently, this distributed energy is not forecasted or directly accounted for in day-ahead scheduling of generation and load. GVEA would like to create a forecaster to estimate the day-ahead hourly energy production that could be expected from distributed solar energy. Many methods could be used to tackle this challenge.

GVEA’s mission is to safely provide its member-owners with reliable electric service, quality customer service, and innovative energy solutions at fair and reasonable prices. The cooperative operates and maintains 3,261 miles of transmission and distribution lines, 35 substations and nine generating facilities. Its system is interconnected with Fort Wainwright, Eielson Air Force Base, Fort Greely, the University of Alaska Fairbanks and all electric utilities in the Alaska Railbelt, which extends from Homer to Fairbanks. GVEA’s peak load in 2018 was 196.6 megawatts (MW). The system peak of 223 MW was set in December 2007.

In addition to a distributed solar energy forecaster, there is lots of information that can be collected from GVEA’s historical distributed solar energy data. GVEA is interested in learning more about the typical behavior of distributed solar energy in its service area and creating educational materials for both internal and public use. For example, GVEA is interested in creating a “duck curve” diagram showing how the increase in distributed solar energy in the system has changed the summer load profile, and how that will change with more distributed solar energy in the system.

This intern will learn how to manage, manipulate, and analyze lots of data. ACEP has a strong team of people with data analysis and management skills beyond the mentor who can provide support to the intern. The intern will need to be creative, come to the table with ideas, and be comfortable researching how other utilities and companies have tackled this challenge. It is anticipated that the intern will use computer programming (preferably Python) and/or Excel spreadsheets to develop the forecaster program. There will be a high importance placed on documentation. Documentation may be tedious and boring, but it is possibly the most important factor for whether or not an intern’s work will be useful beyond internship.

Relevant majors and skills: Data science, computer science, or similar degree. The ideal intern enjoys working with large datasets, creative problem solving, and understands the importance of documentation. This project is a unique opportunity to participate in energy research while working directly with a local utility.

Work setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office with frequent visits to GVEA. Mentorship will be a blend of in-person and virtual.

Mentor: Michelle Wilbur
Location: Anchorage (housing and transportation to Alaska not provided)
Key Themes: electric vehicles, social science, community engagement, energy equity, data analysis
Strand: AUSI

There are many ideas on how to transition to lower-cost, lower-carbon, more-local sources of energy. Alaskans are exploring electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps, and other electrification technologies to help with this. In addition to the technological challenges and implementation best practices, we need to know how these technologies will work for people. What potential inconveniences are unacceptable? What is the value placed on being able to precisely choose when energy will be used for a task (i.e., if someone wakes up ready to take a hot shower, and the water comes out luke warm because of load shifting to balance renewables on the grid, is there an amount of financial compensation in the world that can make that acceptable?) Who exactly is benefiting from the transition to new technologies, and in what ways?

We do not want to leave people behind in an energy transition. It may save customers money and reduce emissions if most people are able to switch to EVs and use renewable energy, but if some people are left behind in this transition, and their needs unmet, this is unfair. We need more information to make sure that engineering solutions are equitable and benefit all members of society.

Previous work has helped develop the outline of survey instruments to answer some of these questions for two specific projects: 1) funding electric vehicle chargers in rural Alaska and 2) developing controls to shift home loads to times of more renewable energy availability. These projects will develop an intern’s skills in ethical research with human subjects and working with community partners and community members to further develop and gather survey information. The intern will also gain skills in analysis of data and presenting the results.

Relevant majors and skills: This project is ideal for a variety of majors, with an interest in the energy transition, community engagement, and/or social sciences. Applicants should be passionate about human factors of the energy transition. Applicants with lived experience in rural Alaska are preferred but not required.

Work setting: This internship will work at the ACEP Anchorage satellite office at University of Alaska Anchorage. Mentorship is in person with a mentor who is in Anchorage. Anchorage-based interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation, and UAA students or Anchorage residents are prioritized.

Mentor: Michelle Wilbur
Location: Anchorage (housing and transportation to Alaska not provided)
Key Themes: electric vehicles, social science, statistics, surveys, community engagement
Strand: AUSI

People have concerns about the performance of EVs in the harsh winter conditions of Alaska, and how they might integrate in rural Alaska. We are crowdsourcing data from EVs on the road in Alaska as well as from the conventional cars, trucks, ATVs, snow machines and boats that are operated in rural Alaska communities. Analysis of this data will allow us to help individuals and communities make informed decisions on where EVs might bring benefits to Alaskans.

This project will help Alaskans make informed decisions about a new technology. The results of this work could help communities ensure that their energy transition equitably saves money and reduces emissions, which might not happen without foresight and planning with good information. Electrification of transportation would allow vehicles to use energy from river hydrokinetics, solar, wind, and other technologies explored by researchers at ACEP, tying this work to other research at ACEP.

This project will use and expand on literature research skills, data analysis/visualization and python coding skills, as well as writing/story-telling skills.

Relevant Majors and Skills: This project is ideal for a variety of majors, with an interest in the energy transition, statistical methods, and/or social sciences. A student with lived experience in rural Alaska is preferred but not required.

Work setting: This internship will work at the ACEP Anchorage satellite office at University of Alaska Anchorage. Mentorship is in person with a mentor who is in Anchorage. Anchorage-based interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation, and UAA students or Anchorage residents are prioritized.