This summer, GPI welcomed a fantastic group of current students and recent graduates through our internship program. They’re working across GPI’s program areas and come from different backgrounds and parts of the country. It’s always a pleasure to work with our interns and get their perspectives as the future of the energy sector.
To help introduce them, we’ve asked each of them to share what sparked their interest in their respective fields. We also asked them one of the questions we pose to executive-level leaders in our “Eight on Energy” series:
“If you had a crystal ball, what do you think the energy system will look like in 25 years? Pick a level (in daily life, in cities, the actual electric or transportation system, etc.).
Below are their responses.
MAAZ QUADEER
Educational background: Pursuing a M.S. in industrial engineering with a minor in management of technology from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
GPI internship focus: Demand response research
What sparked your interest in this field?
“Although I have always been interested in renewable technologies and other topics around sustainability, I actively started pursuing it as my career path when I started being involved with a student club on-campus called the Energy Club. The club revolves around bringing together people from various educational and social backgrounds to come together and discuss problems and solutions around environmental justice, sustainability, and energy. Ever since then I have tailored my masters towards having an emphasis on renewable energy technologies and sought work in the field.”
If you had a crystal ball, what do you think the energy system will look like in 25 years?
“I think within the next 25 years we will have much advanced energy systems in terms of technology, reliability, and efficiency. I predict that our energy markets will be dominated by renewable energy sources. Despite the large-scale adoption of renewable energy technology and policy, I still feel we will not only have newer but also bigger challenges. Exponential growth in population coupled with slow adoption of renewable energy technology and lack of environmentally and socially sustainable policy now will lead to global challenges like higher frequency and intensity in weather conditions and food and clean water shortages, which will in turn lead to other global crises such as mass migration and civil instability.”
JANVI TRIVEDI
Educational background: Pursuing a B.S. in chemical engineering from Yale University
GPI internship focus: Sustainable communities
What sparked your interest in this field?
“The phenomenon of climate change always interested me, so it was only natural that alleviating its effects came to be a goal of mine. I chose chemical engineering to help meet this goal but soon realized I knew nothing of the social aspect or community engagement necessary to fix our environment. That is what sparked my interest in sustainability and this internship!”
If you had a crystal ball, what do you think the energy system will look like in 25 years?
“Within the next 25 years, I think the adoption of electric vehicles will be at an all-time high switching demand for gasoline to electricity. Companies such as Tesla and Chevrolet are researching and producing increasingly efficient models and communities are responding by implementing charging infrastructure making an electric vehicle future seem more and more plausible. My crystal ball tells me we have a greener future in store for us!”
CHLOE WELD
Educational background: Pursuing a B.S. in sustainable systems management w/ an emphasis on energy from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities.
GPI internship focus: Electric grid research
What sparked your interest in this field?
“My interest in sustainability stems from my love for being outdoors, and my aspiration to be involved in a career where I can make a difference for both current and future generations. Advancing sustainable solutions within energy systems is something that’s becoming increasingly important, and is an area I believe significant progress can be made in to help mitigate climate change.”
If you had a crystal ball, what do you think the energy system will look like in 25 years?
“I’d say the future looks promising for our energy system. With wind and solar becoming more and more cost-effective, I think we’ll see a general shift in our energy supply away from traditional fossil fuels and more towards renewables. Most processes that were previously fossil fuel based will be transformed through electrification, and our system will become significantly more efficient.”
