As part of Careers in Energy Week, today’s MI Environment article features several members of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Materials Management Division’s Energy Services Division staff. This is the latest edition of a regular career series featuring the biographies and careers of EGLE staff.
The following staff members answered the following five questions.
- What is your role at EGLE and which office/city/region do you work in?
- Discuss your educational background and interest in energy.
- What does a typical work day look like?
- How does your work impact the lives of people in Michigan?
- What advice would you give to students considering their career path?
cody evans
- I’m a divisional analyst in the Energy Services Department and work at Constitution Hall in Lansing.
- I attended Michigan State University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social relations and policy and a minor in environmental studies and sustainability. While studying at MSU, I served as the Sustainability Director for the university’s Student Government Association and had the opportunity to work with sustainability staff on energy-related projects/policies on campus. As a result, this involvement greatly expanded my interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, leading to this role in EGLE’s Energy Services Unit.
- I just started EGLE earlier this month, but my typical workday is still evolving as I get used to the program. The program I work on is the Community Energy Management Program (CEM). The program is designed to help local communities and city governments across Michigan every step of the way as they strive to improve energy efficiency. In my role, I regularly answer questions about his CEM program and assist program awardees with submitting documentation and providing project updates.
- Programs like the Community Energy Management Program provide critical funding and resources for Michigan communities to begin, continue, or expand energy efficiency and education improvements. These efforts not only positively impact communities across Michigan, but ultimately benefit the planet, and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of these efforts.
- As a first-time EGLE attendee and a recent graduate myself, my advice is to find communities and groups of passionate people in your field of interest and take advantage of opportunities to get involved in things that are important to you. That’s it.
Lauren Magar
- I am an engineer in the Energy Service Unit of the Materials Management Department. It’s a fully remote job with a home office in Constitution Hall in Lansing. My role oversees subsidies for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and strengthening the reliability and resilience of our electric grid.
- I graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a minor in pulp and paper engineering. After college, I worked as a process and environmental engineer for a pulp and paper company in Oregon. I then became a full-time air quality engineer managing the Title V program. In 2017, I joined the Michigan Air Quality Department (AQD) as a District Inspector for Warren, and he soon transferred to the AQD Permit Section. I was assigned to the Energy Service Unit in March 2023. My interest in energy goes back to my career in paper mills and learning from energy engineers about the energy needs of utility departments and facilities.
- During normal working hours, you will evaluate potential projects to see if they are eligible for funding and inform potential applicants what funding opportunities are available for potential projects. This includes: For open grants, I process payment requests, ensure all expenses are eligible for reimbursement, and answer questions about the grant. I attend conferences and checkpoint meetings with sponsorship grant recipients to review their research progress.
- The grants I manage provide new funding opportunities to help utilities improve the reliability and resiliency of their power grids. This means fewer power outages due to storms across the state. EV charging infrastructure grants will ease range anxiety for EV drivers across the state. These programs are consistent with the objectives of the MI Healthy Climate Plan.
- Be open-minded about your career path and ask questions to understand why you’re doing what you do. Don’t be afraid to challenge the standard, but do it respectfully. The best way to learn is to ask questions of employees who have been with the company for many years. Because they understand how the process works and have ideas on how to improve it.
Michelle Rogers
- I am officially a Building Industry Engineer in EGLE’s Energy Division. Our division is the designated state energy agency for the State of Michigan and is part of EGLE’s Materials Management division. I primarily work remotely from home and my primary office location is Constitution Hall in Lansing.
- I earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Michigan State University. After working as a chemical engineer at a biofuels startup, he earned a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from Wayne State University. There, as a graduate student, I was researching demand response and how energy usage hours affect atmospheric emissions from power plants. After graduating from WSU, I went to work in EGLE’s Air Quality Division, where I spent 10 years as a permitting engineer, obtaining permits for foundries, power plants, and oil and gas processing facilities while complying with air quality regulations and I learned a lot about Michigan industry. and all other types of facilities. I recently started my current role. I have always wanted to work in the environmental field, particularly related to combating climate change, so working on energy-related issues was a natural fit.
- As the State Energy Department, it is our job to help Michigan achieve its energy goals by making the most of federal and state dollars. We manage grant programs to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, increase resiliency and lower energy costs for Michigan residents, businesses, municipalities and nonprofit organizations. . Toward that goal, you may at times be responsible for writing requests for proposals, responding to questions from potential grant applicants, reviewing grant applications, and finalizing grant agreements. I’m working on that. I’ve only been in this role for six months, so I still have a lot to learn. I have had the opportunity to attend webinars and conferences through which I learned a lot about building science, energy efficiency, building codes and standards, and other topics related to architecture and energy. It was also an exciting time to learn about the funding opportunities available to states through the bipartisan Infrastructure and Inflation Control Act.
- Our grant programs have a direct impact on the businesses, nonprofits, farms, and individuals who receive our grants. It’s so much fun to get involved in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that save people money and help the planet. These projects will reduce air emissions, including carbon emissions, allowing Michiganders to breathe cleaner air and mitigating the effects of climate change. The office also funds research and projects aimed at improving the reliability and resiliency of the power grid and helping low-income residents reap the benefits of community solar power. doing. I’m especially excited about upcoming tax credits and rebates to help residents weatherize and electrify their homes.
- This is probably the most difficult question for me to answer. There are many different career paths in the energy field, including engineering, computer/data science, the construction industry, and public policy. I think it would be a good idea to find a mentor who works in your field of interest and give it a try. Your assumptions are key. Sometimes a job may sound appealing, but until you actually try something yourself, it’s hard to know if you’ll enjoy it. One way to do that, she says, is to find someone who will give you the job. Check out chapters of local trade associations and professional organizations to find mentors and people willing to share their lived experiences. Online forums can also help you find people working in your field of interest and ask them about the pros and cons of their work.
