Consensus Building Institute

Renewable Energy Initiatives

The Bekenstein intern at CBI will support our ongoing work to accelerate renewable energy development across the United States—a crucial component of the nation’s climate change mitigation strategy. This work directly contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by helping facilitate the deployment of clean energy infrastructure through stakeholder consensus building and dispute resolution.

The intern will assist with multiple facets of CBI’s renewable energy initiatives per project needs, which may include:

• Supporting planning and facilitation of stakeholder meetings with local/state/federal agencies, developers, non-governmental organizations, and affected communities
• Preparing written summaries of meetings, interviews, and focus groups
• Conducting research and analysis on renewable energy development challenges and solutions
• Assisting with initiatives related to understanding environmental impacts and mitigation planning
• Researching the ten-year history of efforts to ensure co-existence in offshore wind development with historic users such as commercial fisheries

Key focus areas may include offshore wind development along the US Atlantic Coast and Pacific Coast, utility-scale solar projects, transmission infrastructure planning, and other renewable energy initiatives. The intern will engage with others around the challenges of energy siting in the US and new approaches at the state and local levels to accelerate (or interfere with) renewables and transmission deployment. The intern will work a minimum of 30 hours per week in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, gaining direct exposure to CBI’s non-partisan approach to facilitating clean energy development.

Timetable

Ongoing Activities Throughout Summer

• Virtual and in-person meeting support
• Documentation and summary writing
• Research and analysis
• Professional development and mentorship meetings

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience:

• Strong interest in climate change mitigation, renewable energy, and public policy
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, concise summaries
• Strong research and analytical capabilities
• Demonstrated ability to work in fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environments
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace
• Collegial and willing to engage diverse stakeholders

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Background in environmental policy, energy, or related field
• Experience with stakeholder engagement or facilitation
• Knowledge of renewable energy industries and development processes
• Experience with meeting documentation and summary writing

Core Professional Competencies:

• Exceptional attention to detail
• Strong time management and organization
• Professional demeanor and discretion
• Collaborative team player
• Self-starter with ability to work independently
• Adaptable and flexible in dynamic situations
• Demonstrated commitment to objectivity and non-partisan approaches
• Comfort working with diverse stakeholder groups

Background

The Consensus Building Institute (CBI) is a not-for-profit organization founded by leading practitioners and theory builders in the field of dispute resolution. We serve public, nonprofit, and private clients worldwide by providing facilitation, collaboration, and dispute resolution services. CBI works across the U.S. and internationally, with staff based in multiple locations including Cambridge, Massachusetts; Portland, ME; Washington, D.C.; Denver, Colorado; San Francisco, California; New York, New York; Montreal, Canada; and Santiago, Chile.

CBI is committed to growing and diversifying the field of consensus building. We strongly encourage applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, age, or sexual orientation.

Learn more about our work at www.cbi.org