Grant Lee is a Technology and Policy Program master’s student at MIT studying and working on energy economics and policy. Prior to MIT he was an English teacher in Seoul, South Korea. His research focuses on applying energy systems models to optimize generation, storage, and transmission investments and utilization. He hopes to contribute to sustainable development with his work in the future.
What is the focus of your research? What sort of knowledge and disciplines does it bring together? How will it make an impact?
My research focused on how ReNew can take advantage of the recently formed ancillary services market. Currently, the only segment that has been marketized within the ambit of ancillary services is the tertiary response ancillary services. ReNew’s generation assets earn revenue through long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) or through the merchant energy markets. With the recent change in ancillary service regulatory framework in India, though, ReNew is assessing the potential opportunity of participating in this new ancillary service market. This internship allowed me to bridge together all the classes and research experiences that I’ve had so far, as it touches upon energy economics, energy systems models, policy, and much more. This research will hopefully make an impact by informing one of India’s largest Independent Power Producers (IPP) on how they can profitably contribute to this necessary service.
This summer you interned with Renew. Who did you work with and what did you do?
This summer I interned with ReNew, one of India’s largest renewable IPPs. I worked with Nitin Sabikhi in the energy markets department, who I want to thank for giving me this incredible opportunity. I was given great autonomy in my day-to-day work, which I absolutely loved. I did qualitative research and spent much of my day reading through Indian ancillary services regulations, and I created a report for ReNew that contained detailed information about entering this market.
How does the internship connect to your current research and future plans?
In the future, I hope to do research related to sustainable development. This internship was a perfect opportunity to participate in renewable energy research in a developing country, which is incredibly valuable for what I want to do in the future—to help developing countries grow sustainably with an emphasis on climate, energy, and environmental issues. In addition to having gained valuable research experience during my internship, I’m also incredibly grateful that ReNew sponsored trips to their solar manufacturing site in Jaipur as well as wind and solar farms in Jaisalmer. These site visits were just as valuable as my research because they gave me a real look at just how vast and intricate these energy systems are.
Most importantly…
I want to thank Program Manager for MISTI India/South Asia program, Megha Hegde, for all the incredible support she gave me, which made this experience possible. My life is now immensely richer because of her. I want to express my gratitude to Suman, Jai, Supriya, Mitali, Marufa, Saswati, Aakash, Likhitha, Myra, Aanya, Anushka, Fred, and of course Khushi for making my time in India unforgettable. I also want to thank 송준호 목사님 and everyone at Gurgaon Open Church for their warmth and kindness. I want to thank Rahul Bhardwaj for letting me join his cricket team, and I also want to thank Monika, Ramit, and Nanditha for letting me join their lunch group.
And lastly, I want to thank Vineet Singh – the best desk buddy I could’ve asked for.
