Andrew Bates enjoys the challenging problems he gets to solve every day as an intern at NorthWestern Energy. 

A senior at Montana Technological University studying business information technology, this is Bates’ second summer as the AMI mitigation and deployment intern. He also worked part time during the school year for the company. Andrew is working on our Montana Meter Upgrade Project, and is responsible for AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) mitigation and AMI services upgrades and implementation. 

“NorthWestern Energy has a strong reputation as a great company to learn and grow at,” said Bates. 

He especially appreciates the great people who have guided and help him along his way. 

“I’ve received hands-on experience with application upgrades with increased responsibilities compared to when I interned last summer,” he said. 

Outside the office, Bates enjoys spending time outdoors by hunting, fly fishing, or camping in his free time.

Aubrey Tuss’s connection to NorthWestern Energy is rooted in the company's community presence. 

“Ever since I could remember, the NorthWestern Energy mascot would come into my school and do a fun presentation on the company and safety,” said Tuss. “Being from Montana, NorthWestern Energy has always been a community pillar and much more than an energy company.”

Tuss is a senior at Montana State University, majoring in political science and business administration, focusing on policy. As the community connections intern, Tuss helps create educational materials for the community on safety initiatives like the Wildfire Mitigation Plan and NorthWestern’s Public Safety Power Shutoff Plan.

For Tuss, contributing meaningful work that gives back to the customers and communities, while also meeting people dedicated to Montana's safety, are the highlights of her internship.

"I knew that by interning at NorthWestern Energy, I could be a part of a community-focused and uplifting culture and work environment, while being proud of the work I do and the company I do it for," Tuss said. 

She's had the chance to participate in events like an economic development summit at Montana State University, and has met legislators and political figures from around Montana and the United States. 

As a communications influencer intern, Grace Jones works on external communications, including creating social media content, writing stories, conducting interviews, and brainstorming ways to improve the company's current communication systems and platforms. 

Jones graduated from Montana State University Billings in May with a degree in business administration, focusing on marketing. She also competed in track and field for four years, throwing shotput, hammer and weight throw. 

"I wanted to be in an environment that challenged me to be the best version of myself," Jones said. "And here at NorthWestern Energy, I am surrounded by people dedicated to excellence in the workplace and are exactly the type of people I wish to learn from."

Jones has also come to appreciate the culture created at Northwestern Energy.

“The emphasis on safety, accountability and community amongst coworkers has made it easy for me to fit right in and learn,” she said.

She joined her coworkers in planning and shooting a commercial shoot for the Wildfire Mitigation Plan. 

"It was cool to see behind the scenes and work with the film crews," she said. "They are so talented!"

Growing up in Montana gave her a love of the outdoors. She also loves to travel. 

Jakob Lindstrom is entering his senior year at the South Dakota School of Mines and will graduate in May 2025 with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. In his free time, Jakob says the shop is his favorite place. 

“I am interested in anything with an engine, but mainly four-wheelers and three-wheelers. Working on machines that haven’t worked in years is quite fun for me,” Jakob said. He also enjoys welding, whether fixing or building something with his friends. 

As the construction engineer intern, Lindstrom is responsible for creating plans for future construction projects, and he is working on upgrading the current infrastructure to increase safety and reliability. 

He said he has always admired the reliability of energy distribution and how well NorthWestern Energy does it. 

"I wanted to have the opportunity to make an amazing company even better for the benefit of my local community," Lindstrom said. 

He is also excited by the scope of opportunity offered by NorthWestern Energy, especially for an aspiring engineer.

"There are many engineering sectors within the company," he said. "If I need a change of pace in the future, I can do something new without leaving the company."

Kennedy Johnson is entering her junior year at Montana Technological University, where she studies mechanical engineering. This summer, Kennedy is working as a grid operations engineering intern. 

“A big part of my day-to-day tasks is to run the next day studies, which is a study of the outages planned for the next day, to ensure system reliability,” Johnson said. “I also work on projects to better how the transmission system is operated.”

She chose to be an intern at NorthWestern Energy because she knew it would be a challenging learning experience for her. She also appreciates that NorthWestern Energy allows her to work part-time during the school year. 

“Everyone has been kind and incredibly helpful. There’s plenty of people and opportunities to learn from,” she said. 

Outside of school, Johnson loves to explore new places, ride dirt bikes, restore old trucks, play with her dog, and spend lots of time with her family.

Konor McClafferty is a student at Montana Technological University studying mechanical engineering. In his free time, he likes to work on different engines and off-road. 

As a gas and transmission engineering intern, his daily tasks depend on the needs of current projects. Currently, he is working on as-builts and closing out projects. 
McClafferty chose NorthWestern Energy for his internship because it was close to home and because, growing up in Butte, he saw many people around him who worked at NorthWestern Energy. 

"The people I work with are amazing," he said. 

His favorite part of working at NorthWestern Energy are the people he works with. “They never cease to amaze me with their knowledge and skill,” he said. 

The highlight of McClafferty's summer so far is when he and a fellow intern did the Hot Ones Challenge with some of their coworkers. "It was a great team-building exercise, and it also let me learn more about my coworkers and get to know them," he said. 

Morgan Immel is entering her junior year at the University of Montana, where she studies accounting and management information systems. Outside work and school, she reads, cooks, spends time outside and plays pickleball. 

Immel is a benefits and compensation intern at NorthWestern Energy this summer. She and fellow intern, Avery Haang, have been tasked with assisting the Benefits and Compensation team in developing brand communications for the benefits Northwestern Energy offers its employees. 

“I chose NorthWestern Energy because of the culture that they have created,” Immel said. ”And because of how active they are in my community.”

This translates to her favorite part of working for NorthWestern Energy, which is the people she gets to work with. 

“I could not think of a better department to work in,” she said. “They made me feel welcome on my first day, which makes all the difference.”

So far this summer, Immel’s favorite experience was meeting Haang. “It was fun to meet her in person, and we instantly became friends,” she said. 

Mitch Petersen graduated from Montana Technological University in 2022, with a degree in business information technology, and a focus on the management of information systems. In his free time, Petersen has several hobbies that are perfect for every season — including camping, golfing, snowboarding, and weightlifting. He also finds enjoyment in making music. 

Petersen is a supply chain intern at NorthWestern Energy this summer. Some of his responsibilities include material purchasing for the Helena and Great Falls divisions, batched material handling and outstanding transaction expediting. He is currently working on updating employee hotel nightly rates. 

Petersen chose NorthWestern Energy because it is close to home and has a known reputation as a great place to work. 

“NorthWestern Energy has a great reputation for employment,” Mitch said.
During his internship, he enjoyed the professional opportunities. 

“I experienced firsthand from the supply chain perspective how a utility company operates,” he said.

So far, his favorite part of the summer was staying overnight and touring the Rainbow Dam, Black Eagle Dam warehouse, and Steel Etc., a recycling company in Great Falls. 

Ryley McLaughlin is a senior at Montana Technological University studying cyber security and networking. In 2016, he graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in sociology and criminology before deciding to return to school and get a second degree. 

As the physical security intern at NorthWestern Energy, he has worked on many things, such as updating the emergency response plans for 2024, which included updating emergency contact information for different divisions across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.

“I have also been learning how to conduct vulnerability assessments, and learning the planning process for a facility,” McLaughlin said. He is also part of the team dealing with facility access control daily.

“I chose NorthWestern because they are widely considered one of the best organizations to work for,” he said. “I wanted to get the best learning experience for my internship.”

When he is not in school, McLaughlin spends most of his time either reading or outside, whether hiking/running trails, rock climbing, riding his bike, or his most recently developed hobbies, including golf and skiing. 

Sam Byrnes is a senior at Montana Technological University studying business with a focus on management. Outside of school and work, he likes to train MMA and spend time outside hunting and camping. 

As one of the community connections interns this summer at NorthWestern Energy, Byrnes has been working on NorthWestern’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan, the Public Safety Power Shutoff Plan, and the community communications and arrangements necessary for these plans to succeed. 

Based on his previous experience with NorthWestern, "I worked for the company as an intern last year and wanted to come back," Byrnes said.

His position is a perfect fit, as his favorite part about his job is “getting to work with the community and getting to help NorthWestern Energy achieve its goals.”

The highlight of his summer is spending time with the field crew. 

“I was able to go on two ride-alongs with a gas serviceman and an electric serviceman,” he said.

Samantha Sheridan is a mechanical engineering student at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. She is also on the swim team, so when her time is not filled with swimming and school, she enjoys outdoor activities, including camping, fishing and hiking. 

As a construction engineer intern, her main job is to help with distribution engineering, where she gets to work on several steps of the business process, including writing quotes, calling customers, planning out and mapping services, and helping to design and stake projects. 

“I chose NorthWestern Energy for my internship because I strongly believed in Northwestern Energy’s values – especially excellence and community,” she said.

She also knew working at NorthWestern Energy would grant her the opportunity to learn about different types of energy production and distribution from a new perspective. 

“There is so much to learn, and everyone is very willing to explain new concepts and answer my questions,” Sheridan said. “I also love getting the opportunity to leave the office to help in the field with projects I have worked on,” she said. 

Highlighting Sheridan’s summer so far is her trip to the Colstrip Generating Plant and Rosebud Mining Company. 

Internships at NorthWestern Energy are anything but stereotypical; there's no fetching coffee for the office or filing mounds of paperwork.

Instead, NorthWestern Interns are given a glimpse into the inner workings of the energy industry. Each intern is assigned a meaningful project that will not only benefit their future career, but also leaves a positive, lasting impact on the company. 

Interested in an internship in energy? Find internship postings in our job listings at the beginning of each year.