Dear Friends,
 We have many exciting Energy Analysis and Policy updates for you! Thanks to the continued support of Wes and Ankie Foell, we were able to expand our tremendously successful International Student Scholarships to five new future energy leaders from across the world. Welcome!
Mark your calendars for October 1 and 2, 2020. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of EAP, we are planning a major energy conference! We would love to have as many of our alumni and friends join us as possible! It will be a beautiful time to visit Madison!
EAP’s new student representative, Eri Amezcua Cuellar, is continuing the great work of Megan Zielke, who started as an Urban and Regional Planner with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation after graduating last spring—congrats! Eri, a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering and a recipient of the 2018–2019 International Student Scholarship, began the academic year by organizing an EAP team for the UW–Madison Graduate School 4th Annual Degree Dash. See the terrific picture of our team below!
Read on for more exciting news about Greg Nemet’s new book, changes to the Student Networking Trip, and a prestigious alumni award!
As you can tell, EAP is growing and increasing new opportunities for our students! Your support at this critical stage can really make a difference. Any gift amount will translate directly into a stronger program! More information on giving ideas here.
All the best,
Paul Wilson
Energy Analysis & Policy Program Chair
paul.wilson@wisc.edu
Tracey Holloway
Energy Analysis & Policy Engagement Lead
taholloway@wisc.edu
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Left to right: First row—David Nielsen-Franco, Eduardo Ramirez, Mikhaila Calice, Katie Mummah, Dorothy Lsoto. Second row—Paul Wilson, Eri Amezcua Cuellar, Javier Martinez-Santos (photo courtesy of Eduardo Ramirez).
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Scholarships & Grants Create Opportunities for Students
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Left to right: Eduardo Ramirez, Jiayu Liu, Mruganka Kashyap, Mingxin Zhang, SunJoo Hwang.
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Now in its second year, the International Student Scholarship continues to empower future energy leaders from across the world to study in the EAP program. Wes and Ankie Foell created this scholarship in 2018 to help EAP recruit five outstanding international students and equip them to address the global energy challenges of the 21st century. For the 2019–2020 academic year, the Foells have generously extend their support to five new students from China, India, Mexico, and South Korea. Congratulations to this year’s recipients!
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Left to right: April Hang, Jenny Brinker, Mikhaila Calice, Megan Brown.
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Additionally, EAP’s travel grants provide students with crucial opportunities to engage in professional development and forge invaluable connections at conferences across the country. In February, April Hang attended the Better Buildings: Better Business Wisconsin conference in the Wisconsin Dells. There she met EAP alumna Jenny Brinker who gave a presentation about renewable energy management. Mikhaila Calice traveled to Sausalito, CA on a grant in June to take part in the Breakthrough Institute’s 2019 “Breakthrough Dialogue” where EAP alumna Rachel Slaybaugh and EAP Professor Greg Nemet spoke on a panel together.
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Professor Nemet Publishes New Book, How Solar Energy Became Cheap
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Since its release in June 2019, EAP Professor Greg Nemet’s first book, How Solar Energy Became Cheap: A Model for Low Cost Innovation, has generated considerable buzz. The book received a nod in the Washington Post and an extensive write-up in the Wisconsin State Journal. Additionally, the book’s release has led the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) to award Professor Nemet one of the inaugural World Citizen Prizes in Environmental Performance.
How Solar Energy Became Cheap dives deep into the reasons why solar energy recently became one of the most cost-effective energy sources. Later chapters offer guidance on accelerating innovation of other low-carbon technologies, using solar energy’s success story as a blueprint. If you are interested in learning more, Professor Nemet will present findings from his book at the Wisconsin Energy Institute on December 2.
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Student Networking Trip Update
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In their three-year history, the EAP Student Networking Trips have become a highlight of the program for many students. “The trip has transformed my view of careers in energy for the better and allowed me to make connections with different energy professionals,” one EAP student recently shared.
On the 2019 trip to Chicago, students toured Invenergy, the Joyce Foundation, Exelon, and Argonne National Laboratory. Trip sponsor and EAP alumna Martha Goodell of Enigami Partners also organized an exciting reception for students to connect with Chicago’s energy leaders. A huge thank you to our generous sponsors! See photos from the trip here!
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For our 2020 trip, we are expanding opportunities for our students to connect with the nation’s top energy organizations by visiting Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. From May 10 to 12, EAP students will engage with several organizations in the Twin Cities including NextEra Energy, Inc. where EAP alum David Abel works as a Senior Research Scientist. Our Networking Trips are only made possible through generous gifts and corporate partnerships. Please let us know if your organization would like to be a part of our 2020 Student Networking Trip.
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October 1–2, 2020: Happy Birthday, EAP!
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The Energy Analysis and Policy Program is turning 40 in 2020! To celebrate, we are hosting a major energy conference convening energy leaders from across the nation. Presentations and panel discussions will reflect on how the energy industry has transformed in the past four decades and strategize on how to direct change in the next four. Special attention will be given to the important role of the EAP program, both past and future.
The planning committee has been hard at work making preparations and brainstorming potential speakers. Wes Foell, who started as a UW–Madison professor in 1967 and helped found the EAP program, co-chairs the committee with Colleen Schmit, EAP’s Engagement Coordinator. They are joined by current EAP students Mikhaila Calice and Conrad Farner; EAP alumni Steve Kidwell (’88) and Jeannette LeZaks (’08); Nelson Institute alumni Mark Hanson (’74, ’79), Ashok Sarkar (’97), and Marney Hoefer (’00); and Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin Tyler Huebner. Thanks, everyone, for helping make our conference celebration the best it can be!
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Alliant Energy and Madison Gas and Electric have already stepped forward as generous sponsors. We are currently seeking additional support for this landmark event. Please contact EAP Engagement Coordinator Colleen Schmit if you or your company would like to get involved! Registration opens February 1, 2020.
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Paul Denholm Receives Nelson Institute 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award
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In September, UW-Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies awarded EAP alum Dr. Paul Denholm the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award. His work studying renewable energy integration at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) helps utilities worldwide understand the transition to cleaner energy. For example, Denholm is recognized as part of the NREL team that originally modeled the famous “Duck Curve,” which represents the relationship between electricity supply and demand when using solar panels at a large scale.
“I feel really lucky to be able to do as a researcher what I studied in school and use what I learned in EAP to help utilities incorporate renewable energy sources into the grid,” Denholm explained in an interview with the Nelson Institute. “My background was very technical, but in order to do analysis I needed to understand the social and economic pieces as well. EAP afforded me that opportunity.”
Stay tuned for our next dispatch this winter. Thanks for reading!
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