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NSIP E-internship

Are you looking for a great internship that doesn't require long commutes away from campus?

Part of the Whole of Government Center of Excellence's National Security Internship Program (NSIP), e-internships link students currently in Williamsburg with national security and foreign affairs related organizations in the United States and around the world. E-interns telecommute to their internships approximately 10 hours a week during the fall and spring semesters.

Former e-interns have worked on projects related to: Climate Change, Cyber Security, European Security and Defense, China and the Indo-Pacific region, the war in Ukraine, Russia and the Baltics, Arctic Dominance, the Evolution of Great Power Competition, Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Military Planning, and Evolution of the Operational Environment.

Recent e-internship host organizations include: Air Combat Command's International Affairs Directorate, U.S. Army War College and Training and Doctrine Command, Air University's Innovation Accelerator, outcome/one, Diplomatic Courier, Federal Innovators Salon, Valens Global, and more.

To apply for academic year opportunities, students are recommended to have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 and be a rising sophomore, junior, or senior. The program is open to all majors, as well as both undergraduate and graduate students. Qualified students may receive academic credit from their major department for NSIP internships. Enrolled and returning students may be eligible for NSIP-specific F.U.S.E. Funding, as well.

You may also be interested in an in-person national security internship facilitated through NSIP. For more details, including summer opportunities with Combatant Commands, contact us at [[wwgc]]. To stay up to date with the latest e-internship opportunities, sign up for the Global Research Digest.   

Green Nation Developing 750MW Solar And Storage NSIP For 2029 Connection

The site could have a capacity of as much as 750MW. Image: Mariana Proença via Unsplash

Solar developer Green Nation has announced plans to develop a solar and energy storage Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) in south Yorkshire.

The Whitestone Solar Farm, set to be located between Rotherham and Doncaster, is currently in the early stages of development, with the first public consultation set to open on 18 November and run until 17 January 2025. A representative for the project confirmed to Solar Power Portal that the final development could supply up to 750MW to the National Grid, while additionally featuring a battery energy storage system (BESS) of an unconfirmed capacity.

Green Nation is aiming to submit its application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to the UK government in spring 2026, following two rounds of public consultations. If this timeline is met, a decision from the Secretary of State for Energy, Ed Miliband, is expected in the summer of 2027. If the project is approved, construction will likely begin later in 2027, with a grid connection date forecast for 2029.

The proposals will include biodiversity enhancements, with a launch leaflet from Green Nation stating that the plans will include the creation of new habitats for native species. The developer notes that biodiversity enhancement plans will be informed by environmental assessments and consultations with local experts, the Environment Agency, and Natural England.

Jonathan Thompson, founder and CEO of Green Nation, said: "We are excited to launch Whitestone Solar Farm, which stands to make an important contribution to our national energy goals. We are still early in the project's development and encourage anyone with an interest in the proposals to meet with us during the first consultation and to share their views on our early proposals."

Yorkshire has become something of a hotspot for solar power plants and BESS developments in recent months and years, with several high-profile projects located in the region.

On 24 October, the 55MW Skeeby project in North Yorkshire, which is oned and operated by Atrato Onsite Energy, came online, becoming Yorkshire's largest operational solar PV power plant. Atrato has signed a three-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with UK utility OVO Energy, which will receive 49GWh of electricity each year from the site.

In late October, renewable energy developer OnPath Energy broke ground on a 40MW solar PV power plant in West Yorkshire, east of the city of Leeds. Early construction is now underway, with the first solar panels set to reach the site in spring 2025.

German power producer RWE is currently developing a solar NSIP in the East Riding of Yorkshire, having recently concluded its statutory consultation period for the proposed 320MW Peartree Hill solar plus storage project. The final DCO submission is expected to take place later this year.

150MW Solar NSIP Launches Second Consultation Phase

The first consultation phase took place last year. Image: Cubico.

Global renewable energy investor Cubico Sustainable Investments launched the second phase of consultations yesterday (7 November) for a 130MW solar-based nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) in Cheshire.

The second consultation phase for the Frodsham Solar NSIP project will last six weeks until 19 December 2024. The first consultation phase was conducted in June 2023.

According to Cubico, the large-scale solar PV NSIP will align with Net Zero North West's strategic vision and support the Chesire West and Chester councils in reaching net zero by 2045.

Subject to receiving consent, the project is anticipated to be operational by 2029 and harness ground-mounted solar PV modules to generate green energy for the region.

Frodsham Solar will also develop a co-located battery energy storage system (BESS) to accompany the solar PV power plant. This capacity has not been disclosed at the time of reporting.

The project will connect to the grid at the existing Frodsham substation. Cubico confirmed that infrastructure must be built to connect the electricity to the regional distribution network.

Mark Flaherty, development manager for Frodsham Solar, hailed the project's plans, stating that it provides an "exciting opportunity to strengthen the region's vibrant low-carbon industry" and teased that an application for consent is planned for Spring 2025.

"We encourage everyone who's interested to get involved – come along to one of our events or share your thoughts by filling out our feedback form. Your feedback is really valuable to us, and we'll take it on board as we continue to refine our plans ahead of submitting an application for consent, planned for Spring next year," Flakherty said.

Cubico's solar PV expansion

Peel Cubico Renewables, the project's initial developer, was acquired by Cubico Sustainable Investments in January 2024, when the investor secured Peel NRE's 50% stake. The company was initially set up as a joint venture in 2021 to develop a pipeline of 500MW of UK solar PV and onshore wind.

Cubico Sustainable Investments has ties to several international solar PV markets, including the Americas.

Earlier this year, our sister site PV Tech reported that the London-based energy investor had acquired a portfolio of 12 solar and hybrid power projects in Mexico, adding 1.6GW of capacity to the firm's development portfolio in the country.  

Further south, the company has also been expanding its presence within the South American market. In September 2023, Cubico purchased the operational 26MW Alto Cielo solar PV power plant in northern Uruguay from Canadian asset manager Brookfield. The project has been in commercial operation since 2016.

DCO decision delayed for 480MW solar PV NSIP

In other NSIP news, it was confirmed on Wednesday (6 November) that the development consent order (DCO) application for solar PV developer Island Green Power's 480MW West Burton project had been delayed until the new year.

The decision will now be delayed until 24 January 2025. The government said this was to "allow time for necessary public consultation on potential variations to the application".

The solar PV NSIP will be situated in close proximity to the former West Burton A coal-fired power plant, which closed on 31 March 2023. It will host ground-mounted solar PV modules and be connected by underground cables.

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