Wilhelm Mede, Austin Energy

For my CleanTechFellowship I interned with Austin Energy in the Energy & Market Operations Division. My work focused on a new service offering they were introducing in conjunction with developers and “critical load” clients (hospitals, grocery stores, schools, etc.), in which they would build on-site generation capacity to safeguard these critical clients from failures in the grid or egregious price spikes in the daily electricity markets.  I developed an internal white paper regarding the best practices for pricing these offerings and it culminated in a presentation made to Austin Energy’s risk oversight committee in which they codified said practices. It was an incredibly fulfilling assignment. I was given autonomy to speak with folks from different groups across the organization, as well as external consultants, to source the necessary information. It peeled back a few layers of an incredibly complex market operation (they operate in ERCOT’s grid) and, for someone like myself with no background in the space, it gave me a foundational understanding of the electricity markets. I cannot stress how little I knew going into the project, and how helpful it was in my subsequent summer internship. I would highly recommend working with Austin Energy for anyone looking to feed their curiosity in the space, regardless of prior experience. The team was welcoming and made themselves available at every turn.