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2023 Climate Policy Internships

by Charles Yang · updated Mar 15, 2023

ClimateTechList focuses on jobs for software engineers. However, public policy is a huge part of addressing the climate crisis.

Our friend Charles Yang [LinkedIn][personal website] compiled a list of climate policy internships here.

We've copied it here (with Charles' permission) for your convenience. And now, a guest post from Charles:


The roles listed here are not endorsements, please do your own research! But I do have some experience with most of the places listed here.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions on Twitter (while it still works), Mastodon, or email (or if you would like your opportunity to be added to the list!).

Summer 2023

The Ad Hoc Group Summer Policy Associate Intern

  • Organization:
  • Pay: paid, $21,000 for 12 weeks
  • Location: remote, or SF, DC, Chicago, NYC, Denver,
  • Duration:
  • Responsibilities:
  • Background: actively pursuing masters or 3 years work experience

Rocky Mountain Institute Summer Internships (Multiple Roles)

  • Organization: research non-profit that provides excellent technical resources and advocacy for decarbonization, covering a broad swathe of sectors
  • Pay: paid
  • Location: remote or in-person (DC, NYC, Oakland CA, Boulder CO)
  • Duration:
  • Responsibilities: topic areas for internships include carbon-free electricity, carbon-free buildings, carbon-free mobility, climate intelligence, climate finance, climate-aligned industry, India, urban transformation, US federal govt relations -

White House Council on Environmental Quality (WH CEQ) Internship

  • Organization: one of the primary coordinating bodies within the white house for the environment, particularly with regards to environmental permitting

  • Pay: paid, part-time or full-time up to 35 hours a week

  • Location: Washington DC

  • Duration: Spring, Fall, or Summer

  • Deadline for summer is last friday of february

  • Application: Two references, zero drug use policy, writing sample

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Summer Internship

  • Organization: FERC is located within the Department of Energy and is responsible for regulating interstate electricity and natural gas markets. They play a pivotal role in designing the future of energy regulation and our national power grid
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Pay: 

Environmental and Energy Studies Institute Policy Internship 

  • Organization: (I don’t know too much about them, just have a lot of mutual follows on twitter)
  • Pay: $16.10/hour
  • Duration: 26-30 hours a week. Spring, Summer, and Fall internships offered
  • Location: Remote or Washington DC
  • Responsibilities: write articles, contribute to the newsletter, cover congressional hearings and assist in research

Atlas Public Policy Internship

  • Organization: (I don’t know too much about them, just have some mutual follows on twitter)
  • Pay: $25/hour
  • Duration:
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Application Deadline: December 31, 2022
  • Responsibilities:
  • Background: actively pursuing masters OR 1-2 years of experience with a bachelors (though undergrads can always try to apply!)

Department of Energy (Zintellect)

Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)

Kairos Power Regulatory Affairs Intern (and others)

  • Organization: nuclear power startup
  • Pay: Paid
  • Duration: 
  • Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Other roles: Licensing Engineer Intern, Accounting Intern, Communications Intern, Commercial Development Intern, Environmental Intern, Computational Mechanics Intern,

Seamless Bay Area Transportation Policy and Advocacy Intern

  • Organization: non-profit advocating for public transit in the san francisco bay area
  • Pay: $25/hour
  • Duration: march to september, 20 hours a week

ACORE Policy Intern

  • Organization: American Council on Renewable Energy is a non-profit industry advocacy group
  • Location: washington DC or remote
  • Pay: $18/hour
  • Duration: summer

Advanced Energy United Policy Intern - Energy Market Reform

  • Organization: advanced energy united is a non-profit industry advocacy group
  • Location: remote
  • Pay: $18/hour
  • Duration: summer

New America Housing and Climate Intern

  • Organization: non-profit 
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Pay: $18/hour
  • Duration: May to August
  • Requirements: “A recent or a current graduate student in a field relevant to FLH’s areas of interest, including, but not limited to, Public Policy, Urban / Regional Planning, Environmental Science, Political Science, or Environmental Law.”

Environmental Law Institute Research & Publications Internship

  • Organization: non-profit
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Pay: $16.10/hour
  • Duration: at least 10 weeks, 15hours/week
  • Requirements: completed first year of college

Energy Efficiency Internship at CPower

  • Organization: startup
  • Location: remote
  • Pay: 
  • Duration: June 5-August 11
  • Requirements: rising junior or senior in college

Boundary Stone Internships

  • Roles: Industrial Decarbonization, Legislative, Solar Practice, Communications, Transportation Policy
  • Organization: 
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Pay: $20/hour + transportation benefits
  • Duration:
  • Requirements:

Resources for the Future Internships (various)

  • Roles:
  • Organization: non-profit
  • Location:
  • Pay: 
  • Duration:
  • Requirements: 

Bloom Energy Policy Intern

  • Organization: hydrogen fuel cell company
  • Location: Delaware
  • Pay: $18-29/hour
  • Duration: June-August 2023
  • Requirements:

Institute for Market Transformation Policy Research Intern

  • Organization: non-profit
  • Location: remote
  • Pay: $22/hour
  • Duration: 4 month, 35 hours/week, proposed start date of mid-April
  • Requirements: