Established in 1973, The Consumer Energy Council of America (CECA) is the nation’s senior research and public policy organization with a primary commitment to the provision of reliable and affordable energy and telecommunications services for all sectors of the nation. CECA’s activities focus on the economic, social, and environmental impacts of policies affecting network industries. CECA places great emphasis on conducting impartial research on policy issues, building coalitions between the public and private sectors, and providing thoughtful guidance to governmental policymakers and corporate decisionmakers.

Located in downtown Washington, DC, CECA is within walking distance of three subway stops, two major university libraries, the White House and numerous cultural and political sites.

AREAS OF INTERN INVOLVEMENT

Students interning with CECA are assigned a variety of research tasks depending on the individual’s strongest abilities and areas of interest.  In short, Interns work on all phases of project development and management, and are an essential part of the CECA team.  In the past, Interns have:

• Assisted in drafting issue papers, conducted literature reviews, and worked on a variety writing tasks;
• Prepared annotations for bibliographies, proofread and edited official CECA documents;
• Compiled and analyzed data from which they prepared relevant tables and charts;
• Conducted in-depth research on economic and social issues relating to network industries;
• Tracked legislation through research and by attending hearings and meetings;
• Developed and enhanced CECA’s web site.

In some cases, Interns qualify for college credit, work study programs, or modest stipends. CECA makes every attempt to work with schools and advisors to ensure college credit where applicable.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE USEFUL FOR INTERNSHIPS

Interns must have excellent academic credentials, as well as good research and writing skills. Graduate students and Ph.D. candidates should be academically focused in the fields of energy and environmental studies, telecommunications and technology, economics, or public policy. Interns should be willing and able to work independently, take initiative when opportunities arise, and be flexible enough to work on a variety of tasks simultaneously. A vibrant sense of humor is essential.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The internship program is available to both graduate and undergraduate students throughout the year. Interested students must submit a cover letter indicating dates of availability, résumé (including grade point average), the names and phone numbers of at least three professional or academic references, and two recent in-depth writing samples (i.e., research papers). Applications will not be considered without these enclosures.

This material should be sent to: Kim Kowalski at kkowalski@cecarf.org in the body of or attached to an email.

If you have any questions about this program, please feel free to call us at (202) 659-0404 or fax us at (202) 659-0407 or email at kkowalski@cecarf.org.