When its new rate takes effect in 2028, Great River Energy can extend credit to the Energy Innovator Fellowship program at the Department of Energy for providing someone with the analytical chops to help get the job done.

Skilled in data analysis and economics, the DOE fellow supported the generation and transmission cooperative’s rate design discussions with its 26 distribution co-ops to shape the proposal that was ultimately approved.

“He brought Great River Energy a strong mix of expertise, skills and practical capability that strengthened what we could deliver for our member-owners,” said Jeffrey Haase, director of member services and end use strategy at the Maple Grove, Minnesota-based G&T.

“Although he was a Department of Energy employee, we viewed him as an extension of our staff and were able to put his contributions to meaningful use. He was really able to jump in and get right to work.”

Co-ops may apply by 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 2 to be matched with qualifying graduate students or early-career professionals ready for advanced energy projects. Fellows will arrive at selected co-ops in June and receive a federal stipend.

Fellowship topics for 2027 include energy affordability, load growth and flexibility planning, local energy systems and integration, grid strengthening, and transmission and distribution.

“DOE’s fellowship program is another way to reinforce the workforce pipeline amid the waves of co-op retirements,” said Venkat Banunarayanan, vice president of integrated grid for NRECA’s Business and Technology Strategies department.

“It’s always a challenge and an opportunity to let students and young career folks know about co-ops, what it means to work at a co-op and the exciting things they would be doing. This fellowship program is great way to do that.”

Rappahannock Electric Cooperative has hosted three fellows over the past five years and sees the program “as an opportunity to bring fresh perspectives and dedicated research into emerging areas of our industry,” said Louis O’Berry, director of energy services solutions at the Fredericksburg, Virginia-based co-op.

“Each fellow was given meaningful, real-world work tied directly to initiatives at REC,” he said. “Their research has helped us take emerging ideas and better understand how they could translate into practical programs for our members.”

REC’s first fellow focused on electric transportation, infrastructure and rate research and its second on demand response and distributed energy resource integration. Its latest fellow is working on energy efficiency and energy solutions.

“Their work has helped us make more informed decisions, advance programs and initiatives, and ultimately create greater value and more options for our members,” O’Berry said.

Holy Cross Energy’s fellow helped forecast electric vehicle adoption, identify where charging demand may grow and support long-term planning for infrastructure and system load across its service territory.

“Our fellow developed an EV adoption model that projects out expected EV locations and quantities through 2035 down to our feeder level,” said Lisa Reed, energy programs manager at the Glenwood Springs, Colorado-based co-op.

“This will give us insight into the effects on our system in the future so we can proactively plan for system needs or constraints. The model was completed, summary paper produced and two technical presentation papers written during the first-year term.”

Holy Cross and Great River Energy plan to host their fellows for a second year and expect to reap more benefits for their members.

“This program allows us to pursue an independent project,” said Reed, adding that the fellow will take “her predictive model down to a meter level and add a validation method.”

Haase said the fellow’s research in beneficial electrification, load management and DER produced analysis, reports and marketing materials that help the G&T’s distribution co-ops inform their own members.

“For GRE, the fellowship provided additional capacity in key areas, allowing us to take on deeper analytical work,” Haase said. “It’s important to think creatively and know that this individual can be a resource for you and benefit not only to your organization but your membership.”

REC also encourages co-ops to apply for a fellow to work on “meaningful projects that address real needs within your organization, and make the fellow part of your team,” said O’Berry. “Allowing them to become immersed in the cooperative culture and have fun in the process is also most valuable.”