DOE SCEP Community Energy Fellow

Description

Fellows will be matched with one or more local or Tribal governments for 12-18 months in order to apply their knowledge and experiences to the Host’s current clean energy activities. In this round, the DOE aims to match fellows with teams of Tribal Nations and Alaska Native Villages and Corporations. Therefore, fellows with experience or interest in Native American Tribes are preferred. This Fellowship is sponsored by the Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) to support its mission of providing on-site clean energy technical assistance to its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) recipients. For more details about the EECBG Program, please visit: https://www.energy.gov/scep/energy-efficiency-and-conservation-block-grant-program. 

Community Energy Fellows will receive hands-on experience that provides an understanding of the mission, operations, and culture of local or tribal governments and first-hand experience implementing new clean energy projects and initiatives. The goal of the fellowship is to increase access to clean energy career opportunities across the country and accelerate the national transition to resilient and affordable clean energy. Fellows will receive a stipend to offset the cost of their participation in the program and an allowance for education and professional development opportunities.

Candidates must indicate their preferred location(s) in their application and describe their connections to the community(ies). Preference will be given to members of the community or to candidates with relevant lived experience with the host communities.

Fellowship Activities

Matching Fellows with communities around the country can bring new perspectives and skills into local governments and Tribes. Fellows will participate with selected local governments or tribes, or teams of them, that are participating in the EECBG program. Under the guidance of the Host mentor, Fellows will learn while gaining technical knowledge and experience from hosts in the creation, administration, and launch of new clean energy projects and programs as funded through EECBG. Fellows will gain experience around energy technology areas such as energy efficiency, electric vehicle technology or renewable energy and gain valuable insight into the government’s role in the implementation of clean energy programs.

Fellows may be located on site at the assigned host community or participate remotely, with travel to the host site(s). Ideally, Fellows may be matched with their own local, state and tribal governments --- though this is not required. Hosts will provide mentorship and be responsible for guidance, training and other activities necessary to ensuring a successful experience for the Fellow that builds capabilities for a future career in the clean energy or public service fields. Fellows may participate in activities such as stakeholder engagement, research, project management, technical analysis, communication materials, data gathering, and more.

Location

Depending on host site requirements, fellows may be remote, reside in their host communities, or live within commuting distance. Host communities are positioned across the nation in various cities and tribal communities. Locations are to be determined on a rolling basis, starting in February of 2025, and will be organized by the following regions: Northwest, Southwest, West, Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast. 

About The Office of State and Community Energy Programs

The Office of State and Community Energy Programs works with state, local and tribal governments to significantly accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies, catalyze local economic development and create jobs, reduce energy costs, and avoid pollution through place-based strategies involving a wide range of government, community, business, and other stakeholders. SCEP oversees programs totaling $16 billion, including foundational programs like the Weatherization Assistance Program and State Energy Program, and newly formed programs such as the Energy Futures Grants.

About the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program is a $550 million formula- and competitive- grant program that provides direct and flexible funding to more than 2,700 state, local, and Tribal governments across the United States to support clean energy projects and programs.

The EECBG Program is designed to be flexible and to meet community needs. Specifically, eligible entities can choose to implement projects aligned to over 14 eligible clean energy use areas. Examples include:

• Energy Strategic Planning
• Energy Efficiency in Buildings (e.g., Audits, Upgrades, and Performance Standards)
• Renewable Energy Systems (e.g., on-site and community solar, geothermal)
• Electrified Transportation (e.g., electric vehicles)
• Financing (e.g., revolving loan funds)
   

Participant Benefits

• Stipend: Stipends will be determined by DOE officials based on the candidate’s academic and professional background as well as location. Initial appointments are for 12-months to be extended for six months upon recommendation of the Host and approval by DOE. A stipend increase may be offered for the last six-months of the appointment.
  • Associates or Bachelors: $60,000 to $83,000
  • Master/PhD: $67,000 to $100,000
• Health Insurance: A stipend supplement will be provided to cover the cost of a health insurance plan offered through ORISE.
• Dislocation: A stipend supplement of $3,000 will be provided to offset the costs associated with the beginning of the fellowship (e.g., moving expenses, additional technology needs, transportation costs, etc.) An additional $2,000 dislocation may be provided when the host and sponsor approve to a 6 month extension after the initial 12 month appointment.
• Travel and Training Allowance:  An allowance of $10,000 for the 18-month fellowship period will be provided to cover travel related expenses for scientific and professional development activities and required travel for team meetings or site visits during the fellowship.

Qualifications

• Be a U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) at the time of application. Evidence of U.S. citizenship or valid immigration status must be submitted to ORISE at the time the appointment is accepted.
• Be at least 18 years old at the time of application.
• Have completed an Associate’s, Bachelors, Master’s or Doctorate degree in science, social science, economics, mathematics, engineering, public policy, business, law or other field relevant to the DOE mission. Applicants pursuing a degree at the time of application must show proof of completion of the degree before starting an appointment.

Preferred Knowledge and Skills

• Have relevant experience totaling at least the equivalent of at least two full-time years. Relevant experience includes full time jobs, internships, freelance work or volunteer experiences in fields related to DOE and SCEP's mission, such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, electric transportation, sustainability in local or tribal governments, etc.
• Have strong analytical, research and communication (oral and written) skills and demonstrated capacity for creative thinking and participating on a project both independently and collaboratively. Fellows should be highly organized and self-directed, with strong attention to detail. Applicants should be proficient in Microsoft Office Programs, such as Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel and virtual meeting software such as Microsoft Teams.

Additional Information

• These are considered full-time opportunities based on 40-hours a week.
• Fellowship funding cannot be used to support ongoing graduate research.
• This program is intended for early, mid-career and seasoned candidates. Candidates that have completed their degree more than five years from the desired start date must possess the academic background and experience in a field related to the SCEP's mission and must be seeking to gain knowledge/experience in a new area to expand career opportunities or to advance professionally.
• Candidates must indicate their preferred location in their application and describe their connections to that community. Preference will be given to members of the community or to candidates with relevant lived experience with the host communities.
• For more details about the selected host cities’ EECBG projects, please visit https://www.energy.gov/scep/energy-efficiency-and-conservation-block-grant-program-awards and https://www.energy.gov/scep/energy-efficiency-and-conservation-block-grant-eecbg-program-competitive-awards.