This week we sat down with two current students and the faculty lead in the Renewable and Sustainable Energy (RSE) specialization of the Masters of the Environment program (MENV). We asked about some of the motivations for choosing MENV and asked for advice for incoming or prospective students. Here is what they had to say.

Note: By the time of this interview 1^st year students have completed three months of the program while 2^nd year students have completed fifteen months of the program 17 month program.

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Specialization Students:

Alyssa Menzel, 1st Year Student

Hossein Haddadi, 2nd Year Student

What sparked your interest in MENV?

Alyssa 1^st Year: I have a background in energy engineering and coming in was familiar with wind turbine development, manufacturing and the overall supply chain. I entered the MENV RSE program because I wanted to have a more direct impact on renewable energy projects. I also wanted to learn more about the customer facing solutions and a local or state level and I thought MENV would do a good job providing those opportunities.

Hossein 2^nd Year: There was a point in my life where I had everything I wanted but was still unhappy so I started to reconsider my path. I always had this background fascination with energy because I wanted figure out why the Middle East was always in the geopolitical spotlight. Well long story short, it always came back to oil.

Once I started digging into energy as a potential career path, I discovered something else – climate change. It hit me like a ton of bricks, one of the biggest eye openers in the world. I was convinced that not only I would go into energy but when I went into energy it would be renewable energy.

I started looking for programs and was disillusioned because all of the programs had a thesis as their main project. I was looking for something that was professional and practical. At the end of the day the MENV program seemed like right fit for me to get me where I wanted to go.

What is/ was your favorite class?

Alyssa 1^st Year: I really like Rudy’s Energy Policy of the 21^st Century class. You get to learn about so many different parts of the energy industry and are forced to take a deep dive into each topic. Through his course students get a deep understanding of the energy system and is something that I assume will help me as this program continues.

Hossein 2^nd Year: I really liked Rudy’s Energy Policy of the 21^st Century class but my favorite class I am taking right now is the Renewable Energy in Practice course. I have not found a more relevant, practical, and detailed course. The structure is unique, it is co-taught by three professionals in the renewable energy field. Each of the professionals explain what they experience everyday in the field and at the end of the course you see the whole process of renewable systems development.

How do you expect the MENV program will change you?

Alyssa 1^st Year: By the time I graduate I would like to be able to see the broad spectrum of the energy industry - not just from the supply side. Through the different courses MENV offers specifically policy, and sustainability planning I hope I will be able to develop that broader energy framework.

How has the MENV program changed you?

Hossein 2^nd Year: The greatest thing I have got out of the program is discipline. It was 11 years since I went to undergrad and I didn’t want to go back because I was terrified I would not do well academically. The accelerated nature of the program forced habits of discipline and made me a better person.

Overall, It’s amazing, people here give a damn. When you have those kinds of people around you and that kind of motivation you become a better person on the other side.

Any advice for incoming or prospective students?

Alyssa 1^st Year: Since I already had a background in energy, when I applied for the program I thought about going into the Sustainability Planning and Management (SPM) specialization. But the more I thought through the decision the more I kept coming back to energy. Energy ties everything together. If you are not sure if you want to go broad or want to get more specific I recommend talking to some of the faculty and current students. They are always willing to talk about their experiences and talking with them helped me discover what I wanted to do.  

Hossein 2^nd Year: Think to yourself, ‘what are the problems you want to solve?’. It is tough to talk about your passion, so just find what you would like to fix. I want to fix traffic and would like to find a way to make offshore wind viable for the future. So those goals helped me focus my studies.

Also, be open. While you are in the program you will come across ideas and topics you didn’t expect to run into. Some of those opportunities may be your new issue you would like to solve. 

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Specialization Lead: Rudy Kahsar

What drove you to become the lead of RSE?

I remember in 2004 and 2005, before the days of fracking, there was still the concept of peak oil, one day the oil resource may run out. This inspired me to use my skills to help find a solution to this issue. I always liked math and science and wanted to use my ability to be helpful in the world so I decided to do my PhD in Chemical Engineering. After my PhD I wanted to go into the social side of energy and first went into energy consulting. After consulting I got a job with the federal government but realized it was not for me. The type of stuff that gets done there has enormous impact but moves very slowly. I really like the freedom to think and inspire, so that is what led me back here. I think I can have the greatest impact by teaching people and making them better. Not only better in the energy realm, but also just better people.

What do you see as the most exciting trend in the energy space right now?

There are so many exciting trends in energy right now. But I would say what is happening right now with the classic utility model especially in the U.S. is really interesting. There is a lot of pressure on municipalities and investor owned utilities to start making the switch to renewables. But no one has really figured out what a that may look like. We are going to need more regulation for reliability because the grid still provides essential stability. I do not know what the future looks like for utilities. It is just an exciting space to be in right now.

What kind of qualities do you like to see in RSE students?

The most important thing you want to see is a student who is interested and committed. You want someone who wants to do their best and a genuine interest in not only energy but also working in the energy space.

Do you have anything else you would like to tell prospective students?

Yes! Humans are faced with a lot of tough problems. But humans are very resourceful and we are making a lot of changes. We have a system that is well set up to get to a future that is sustainable. It may get worse before it gets better but I am optimistic about humans. New technology has always surprised historians and naysayers. I see students who are optimistic and I think they should be optimistic - they should be excited.

Want to ask questions that we didn’t ask? Feel free to give our Recruitment and Diversity Program Manager, Laura Fisher an email at Laura.D.Fisher@colorado.edu to set up a time to talk with and MENV student or faculty.

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Anna Kaelin and Jeremy Stefek, from the very first MENV cohort, have worked hard over the past three years studying the economic impacts of the Rush Creek Wind Farm. This research originally stemmed from Anna and Jeremy’s capstone with NREL. Along with their colleagues, Suzanne Tegen, Owen Roberts, and David Keyser, their work was published this past week. The article about their work, written by NREL, has been posted and linked below:

Colorado Case Study Demonstrates In-State and Rural Economic Impacts from Wind Manufacturing and Plant Construction

Sept. 16, 2019

In-state wind turbine manufacturing and installation support both short-term and long-term jobs and account for other economic impacts, according to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) case study of Xcel Energy’s 600-MW Rush Creek Wind Farm—Colorado's largest wind energy project. NREL researchers who conducted the study also gained a deeper understanding of how wind plant construction impacts the economies of rural communities, where wind plant construction often occurs.

The recently published report, , provides the results of quantitative and qualitative analyses. By using modeled and empirical data, the NREL team developed an informative picture of the economic impacts of wind energy development in rural Colorado—results that could apply to other states as well.

Highlighting the importance of domestic manufacturing, the study focused on the economic impact of jobs, earnings, gross domestic product (GDP), and gross economic output during the relatively short construction phase and the longer-term operation and maintenance phase.

“Rush Creek is unique because its 300 2-megawatt (MW) wind turbines were all manufactured in Colorado facilities,” said Jeremy Stefek, NREL researcher and lead author of the report. “This gave us the opportunity to study the jobs and economic activity supported by wind energy’s manufacturing and supply chain in Colorado.”

The Rush Creek Wind Farm spans four rural counties on the Colorado's eastern plains (see Figure 1). Installing wind turbines manufactured in the same state increased the farm’s economic impacts to Colorado. Using an in-state manufacturer also decreased transportation time and costs, as wind turbine components were delivered to the installation site by truck rather than rail. Wind turbine components, such as the blades, towers, and nacelles, were manufactured and assembled in Colorado using several in-state suppliers for subcomponents. Some parts and materials, however, were sourced from out of state. For example, nacelles were assembled in Colorado, but the subcomponents within the nacelles (such as generators and electronics) were manufactured elsewhere.

Quantitatively, NREL’s  Wind Energy Model was used to estimate the gross economic impacts from the Rush Creek Wind Farm. JEDI models are user-friendly screening tools that estimate some of the economic impacts of energy projects.

Using empirical data, modeled data, and market research, NREL researchers created a set of assumptions to represent the economic scenario for the Rush Creek Wind Farm. Based on the analysis, the Colorado statewide economic impacts from Rush Creek are shown in Figure 2. Another JEDI analysis estimates the economic impacts of Rush Creek in the area where the development is located.

The JEDI analysis shows that it's not just the construction phase of a wind plant that creates economic impact. The Rush Creek Wind Farm will support 180 long-term jobs and $20 million in GDP in Colorado annually throughout the operation and maintenance phase of its anticipated 25-year lifespan. In addition, Rush Creek will provide an estimated $45 million in landowner lease payments and approximately $62.5 million in property taxes during the 25-year life of the project.

Qualitatively, researchers interviewed 39 community members near the Rush Creek Wind Farm to collect empirical economic data as well as first-hand knowledge of community-level impacts during wind farm construction. Interviewees included local business owners, managers, employees, county commissioners, and economic development office representatives. Providing insight into actual effects of the wind farm on the local people and economy, most interviewees stated that the Rush Creek Wind Farm is one of the reasons business had increased over the past year.

"Our research into economic development from wind energy in rural communities can inform other communities across America as they consider future wind development,” Stefek said. “The idea of engaging communities to understand the on-the-ground effects of wind development makes this research unique and offers a powerful message about wind energy’s economic impact.”

 The empirical research found that:

• 67% of businesses experienced increases in revenue from the previous year—and 11% saw significant increases
• 28% of respondents hired new people in the previous year
• 56% of employees worked more hours than the previous year.

Although interviewees were overall supportive of wind development, many reported challenges from wind farm construction stemming from the influx of temporary workers to their communities, including:

• Local housing shortages
• Increased housing prices
• Lack of infrastructure to house temporary workers
• Inability for some local businesses to keep up with increased demand
• A small pool of qualified local candidates from which to hire.

However, even in the face of these challenges, community members indicated that local businesses and business development organizations support wind construction.

By considering the results of this Colorado case study, rural communities can be better informed and prepared to maximize local economic benefits of future wind development and address the challenges as well

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