Low Voltage Distribution Planning
Sam
Experience Information
Employer: Consumers Energy
Job Title: Cooperative Assistant
Major: Electrical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Consumers Energy is a large company providing power and gas to most of Michigan's lower peninsula.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
Assist engineers in planning and maintaining the electrical distribution system. Addressed repetitive outage problems, system upgrades, and general maintenance.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
There were multiple professional skills learned in working within my own team and other teams to accomplish a goal and maintain effective lines of communication without the loss of understanding. Technically I learned much about the distribution system itself and the models of planning by which we seek to provide stable and reliable power to everyone while mitigating the risk of outages as much as possible.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of co-op was working storm in which I would accompany an engineer to outages ahead of crews after a storm, determine the specific cause and failed equipment, and finally relay that information to crews so that power could be restored. This was an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience as I was actively problem solving and using the knowledge of the system to diagnose problems and restore peoples power.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
It has shown me multiple paths of development that I can pursue and the opportunities available within the utilities space.
Internship Format
Hybrid (some in person and some remote)