As is the way with moving to a new place, the second week there always seems to pass faster than the first. Now that I’ve been in Detroit a week already, my environment has become more familiar, the routes committed to memory, and faces have turned from strangers to friends. This summer, I am interning at EcoWorks Detroit, a non-profit whose mission is to “Create opportunities to learn and practice the sustainable use of energy and natural resources through innovative education, job training, consulting, social business and advocacy”. After only the short time I’ve worked here I can tell this mission is kept close to the everyday operations of the organization, which encourages me when working on my projects. I am working under the Strategic Community Initiatives department, specifically on Community Energy Management – my job is to help develop materials for municipalities, schools, and hospitals to help them increase energy efficiency in their buildings and management. This ranges anywhere from simple efficiency upgrades that save money and energy to consulting for clean and renewable energy development; green upgrades like these are important especially for municipalities and schools who have tight budgets and have not been updated in years. Every dollar saved not spent on dated infrastructure is money that can find its way to services and residents that need them, as well as reducing emissions and paving a cleaner future for metro Detroit. I find the work to be especially important in the setting of Detroit because the residents have an extremely checkered history with utility companies – Southeast Michigan has some of the highest energy and water prices in the nation. The infrastructure is dated and leaves a burden on the community where some people have to choose whether to pay the electricity or water bill every month because they can’t afford both. My vision has started to shift from seeing clean energy as an environmental issue to a socioeconomic one as well. Additionally, a passion project I am going to explore more throughout the summer is working on developing materials and services targeted for small businesses in Detroit to take more control of their energy portfolio.
My time living in Detroit has been a great experience thus far and I am excited for the rest of the summer here as well! It has been fun for me to see the bustle and excitement seen in Downtown and Midtown. There is lots going on and there are too many restaurants for my bank account to rest easy. If budgeted right, I will be able to eat my way through the city in a smart and delicious fashion. I definitely feel like we are living here at the turning point of the city, right as the investment and development is about to kick into a higher gear (for the small area that is seeing the massive growth, that is).
