Engaging with Congress on Climate Change Solutions

Thanks to your commitment, EESI's paid interns receive invaluable career benefits and professional development opportunities, including regular feedback, training, and staff mentorship. This helps them move forward on their career goals and gives them valuable experience at a climate policy nonprofit that will set them up for success.

Interns make substantive contributions across EESI, while gaining experience with and insight into the workings of Congress and the federal legislative process, knowledge about significant environmental, energy, and climate issues, and a keen understanding of how a nonprofit organization works.

You are helping to make possible these foundational experiences for today's college students who will be prepared for climate-related careers. 

Summer 2026:

Jasmyn was EESI’s summer policy and communications intern. Within her major in Science, Technology, and International Affairs, she has a concentration in Energy and Environment and minors in French and German. She hopes to move abroad after graduation to pursue a career in international climate policy. She is also interested in law school. She made a short video about her experience, viewable here. Jasmyn said:

I’ve learned so much about so many awesome science-backed solutions to climate change. I’ve learned just how much balancing has to happen between the technology and the policy and the legislative hoops to jump through for it to actually reach people. And so I’m really fortunate to have learned a lot about how those processes are navigated. Over the course of the summer, I got to dig into topics that I never expected to learn this much about—from permitting reform to grid modernization to geothermal and hydrogen and ocean conservation. I learned so much about COP when I was summarizing the Bonn Climate Change Conference’s key happenings. I’m positive that all these experiences will be important in whatever I do next.

Megan was EESI’s summer policy intern. Now a senior studying Environmental Science and Public Policy, Megan participates in a clean energy group, a peer advising fellow program, and varsity athletics. She made a short video on her experience, viewable here. Megan shared: 

Throughout my summer at EESI, I have written articles, attended and supported staff during briefings, tracked legislation and hearings, and conducted research on environmental, climate, and energy issues. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at EESI, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this organization!

Spring 2026:

Aastha spent her last semester of college interning with EESI, finishing up a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. She was well prepared to intern for Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) over the summer, following her EESI internship. Aastha has just started a PhD in Civil and Systems Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University this fall. She said: 

My experience as this year’s spring policy intern at EESI has been incredible! I’ve had the opportunity to attend hearings, write articles, and learn so much about a variety of different issues in the energy and environment sectors. I’ve helped set up and write highlight notes for four briefings on wildfires, energy efficiency, energy generation, and the electrical grid. At these briefings, I’ve had the opportunity to listen to experts speak and connect with them afterwards to learn more about different organizations working on solving relevant issues. During my daily legislative tracking, I’ve been able to keep track of Congress’s legislative priorities and have gotten a realistic view of how fast bills move, as well as what kind of legislation moves forward. The articles I’ve written have helped me improve my writing and research skills, especially as I transition away from engineering-heavy academic writing to more succinct, policy-style writing. Through career chats and professional development workshops, I’ve been able to plan for life after my internship and my career at large. Overall, the experience has been incredibly educational and has inspired me to pursue a career in environment and energy policy.

Andie also spent her last semester of college interning at EESI as she finished up a B.A. in Environmental Studies. She has just started her Master of Science in Climate, Environment and Health at Georgetown University.  Andie shared these thoughts on her experience: 

As the communications intern for EESI this spring, I have had the privilege of working on social media, taking part in weekly professional development workshops, and attending briefings on Capitol Hill. My favorite part of this internship has been writing articles for our website and bimonthly newsletter, Climate Change Solutions. My first article on PFAS (forever chemicals) use in data centers was featured in the Innovation Platform. I also interviewed PFAS expert Matt Dunn for my data center piece, gaining additional experience speaking with industry leaders. The support from EESI staff has been invaluable, equipping me with the skills and resources needed to excel in the environmental communications field!

Links:

• Learn more about EESI's internship program and future openings!
• Subscribe to our Climate Change Solutions newsletter!
• Want to know more about climate solutions in your state?

War in the Middle East. Persistent, tariff-driven inflation. Farm labor shortages. Drought and extreme heat. Data center proliferation. These and other factors are pushing energy bills up, up, up.

Policymakers are scrambling. This is why you have been reading about desperate, questionable proposals like a “gas tax holiday.” Whether anything like that can deliver actual savings between now and the first Tuesday in November is … politely … not a sure thing.

Droves of Congressional staff are asking EESI to help them and their bosses figure this out. Resource-hungry data centers, especially, remain a hot topic. Thanks to you, EESI is already an essential resource for information about data center energy and water consumption. In addition, our latest articles about impacts like server farm noise pollution and “forever chemicals” are flying off the proverbial (online) shelves.

Unfortunately, many of the best ways to avoid “High Price Summer” have been severely eroded. Not too long ago, for example, consumers could get a tax credit for buying an electric vehicle. You know, the cars and trucks that do not get more expensive to drive when the Strait of Hormuz is off-limits.

More EVs and their batteries, combined with solar panels—all made by skilled workers in U.S. factories—sound better than ever right about now.

Your partnership means that EESI is available when policymakers need us the most. Like in a few weeks, when we convene the 29th annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy EXPO and Policy Forum. The event will feature dozens of leaders and experts from across the clean energy sector.

I hope you will join us in person or online for a full day of discussions about how energy-efficient and resilient buildings and carbon-free generation can make energy supplies more secure, while putting downward pressure on costs.

And who knows? Maybe we can inspire better times, like a “Clean Energy Summer” instead. Something that I hope we will continue to work toward together.

Links:

• Sulaiman Mathew-Wilson on EESI podcast, The Climate Conversation
• EESI Briefing: Tracking Down Data
• Sign up for emails about EESI events and climate solutions!