This summer, I completed an internship with Green Mountain Power based in Colchester, Vermont. The focus of this internship was to organize and give public tours of Green Mountain Power’s Kingdom Community Wind facility three times a month from June to August.

In total, I gave 9 tours to over 500 members of the public. Each tour began at the Operations and Maintenance building, where we welcomed everyone to the tour, provided safety information, and answered questions.

Next, we went to two out of the twenty-one turbines and let participants walk around the turbine pad. Most tour participants stand near the turbines for the opportunity to hear them spin and enjoy the views from the top of Lowell Mountain. On a clear day, we are able to see Belvidere Mountain, Jay Peak, Owl’s Head, the wind farm in Sheffield, and the Presidential Range. While tour goers walked around the turbine pad, I answered any questions they had regarding Kingdom Community Wind, Green Mountain Power, and wind energy, both relating to Vermont and more broadly.

Through these tours, I have learned more about the technicalities of wind energy through the members of the engineering and regulatory team that gives tours. This knowledge complemented what I learned through coursework at UVM and enabled me to apply what I learned in the classroom to a practical application. For this reason, I would encourage future interns to seek out internships in fields that interest them to determine if those fields are suited for their interests and skills.