Summer 2026 Intern Program: Engineering Majors (Syracuse, NY)

Find what makes you Superpowered. Engineer Your Summer in Syracuse! 

As we help clear the path to a greener future, we need to ensure our people continue to power our progress. The world of energy is changing faster than ever!  

Our Gridtern Program provides current college students the ability to gain practical experience within the energy industry. Your summer will begin on Monday, June 15, 2026, and will be filled with meaningful work experiences, professional development, networking opportunities, community involvement, and most importantly, have fun!  

Intern responsibilities will vary based upon your area of interest and department placement. Applying to this opportunity confirms your interest in being considered for one or more of the departments below for summer 2026: 

Transmission & Distribution (T&D) Line Standards 

Our T&D Line Standards team is tasked with defining electric standard requirements in accordance with industry specifications, leading to innovative, effective, and efficient systems for National Grid. This team develops standard designs, drawings, and specifications for materials and equipment used in the Company's transmission, distribution, and streetlight systems. Additionally, the team conducts investigations and provides specifications for both new and existing equipment, manufacturers, vendors, equipment issues or failures, as well as innovative designs, materials, and methods. 

As a Gridtern, you will assist in the design, development, and implementation of new electric construction standard drawings and engineering material specifications. You will also engage in the analysis of nonconforming electric material defects and failures, while building relationships with vendors and suppliers to identify new materials and tools that could enhance our company's engineering designs. Additionally, you will contribute to the updates of the 2026 distribution construction standards for the electric field workforce. 

Gas Transmission Engineering - Integrity Management  

Our Gas Transmission Engineering – Integrity Management Team is responsible for the safe and reliable operation of 1200+ miles of natural gas transmission pipelines as part of our Transmission Integrity Management Program (TIMP). The main responsibilities for this team include managing projects, evaluating data, coordinating and overseeing investigation digs, performing engineering analysis, and engineering repairs of pipeline defects. This team is the main group tasked with finding and fixing damage or threats to company pipelines. As a Gridtern, you will have the opportunity to help review pipeline inspection data to identify damage, plan site investigations, and support pipeline damage inspection analysis and repair. 

Distribution Planning and Asset Management  

Our Distribution Planning and Asset Management team’s primary objectives are to develop, manage, update, and oversee the implementation of both short- and long-term asset management policies, strategies, initiatives, and work plans, ensuring they align with National Grid’s Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP). They coordinate asset management plans, initiatives, and decisions with budgets, rates, and capital improvement plans. The team offers insights and recommendations for essential modifications and additions to sub-transmission and distribution facilities, improving resilience to adverse weather and modernizing the grid to meet projected capacity needs and increasing customer service expectations. This will be accomplished cost-effectively, optimizing existing systems while minimizing environmental impacts. 

As a Gridtern, you will be instrumental in developing, managing, updating, and overseeing the implementation of both short- and long-term asset management policies, strategies, initiatives, and work plans for Transmission and Distribution (T&D), ensuring they align with the Power-wide Strategic Asset Management Program. 

Options Solutions Engineering 

Our Options Solutions Engineering (OSE) team is responsible for conducting high-level engineering evaluations of proposed capital projects involving substation and transmission line assets. The team assesses a variety of projects, from replacing aging or obsolete equipment to interconnecting new distributed generation facilities such as wind and solar. Additionally, the team is involved in projects related to emerging technologies and initiatives, including microgrids and battery storage. 

As a Gridtern, you will be exposed to all areas of engineering within the department, tailored to your interests and the ongoing initiatives at that time. Your responsibilities will include supporting and reviewing the development of conceptual engineering documents, participating in field visits, and collaborating with OSE engineers on special initiatives. You will engage in a mix of independent work and learning from team members as you complete scoping documents, which will involve site visits and reviews of project drawings and documentation. This internship will provide you with valuable experience in engineering and project evaluation within the energy sector. 

Sub-Transmission Design 

The Sub-Transmission Design department at National Grid is responsible for overhead capital design engineering for electrical operations, focusing on voltages between 23kV and 46kV. The team designs, analyzes, and optimizes sub-transmission lines to ensure reliable electricity transmission while meeting industry standards, safety regulations, and environmental considerations. Collaboration with field operations and stakeholders is crucial throughout the project lifecycle. 

As a Gridtern, you will participate in field meetings, perform engineering calculations, and organize projects. You will assist with engineering and design in compliance with NESC, National Grid Standards, and New York State regulations. Your responsibilities will include handling non-complex work requests for in-kind replacements, supporting emergency work requests for sudden structure failures, and working on interconnections for new customers and green energy projects. You will also participate in pilot projects and Multi-Value Sub-Transmission Projects. 

Additionally, you may support field engineering, track key performance indicators (KPIs), draft engineering drawings, manage asset booking, and ensure proper document retention. This internship provides valuable exposure to sub-transmission design engineering and the chance to contribute to impactful projects in the energy sector. 

Stations Engineering and Design New York  

Our Stations Engineering & Design group is responsible for designing the infrastructure that supports electrical equipment within electric substations, including steel structures and concrete foundations. This team also oversees the design of station fencing, access to roads, stormwater drainage, and oil containment systems. 

As a Gridtern, you will assist in the design of various structures and foundations within our electric substations. Your responsibilities will include performing structural calculations, reviewing prints, reviewing oil containment plans, and providing markups of drawings. This internship offers valuable firsthand experience in civil engineering and the opportunity to contribute to critical infrastructure projects within the energy sector. 

Substation Engineering 

Our Substation Engineering and Design New York (SEDNY) team provides vital engineering and design support for all electrical substations in Upstate New York. These substations play a crucial role in executing National Grid's capital investment plan and facilitating timely connections to our transmission and distribution systems, accommodating new generation sources and large customer demands. Spanning from Western New York to Central New York, the North Country, and the Albany area, some of our substations have been in operation since the early 1900s, presenting our engineers with a wide variety of equipment and design methodologies. SEDNY engineers work closely with multiple engineering and support teams to deliver projects and actively participate in fieldwork during construction to ensure successful project outcomes. 

As a Gridtern, you will shadow engineers daily in the office and during site visits to substations. You will be assigned various project tasks by substation engineers, who will provide guidance and support. A significant aspect of substation engineering involves maintaining up-to-date operating diagrams, and you will assist in implementing process improvements in this area. This internship will offer you valuable experience in substation engineering and project execution. 

Substation Engineering and Design New York 

Our SEDNY team is dedicated to the successful and timely delivery of substation projects, supporting the capital investment plan, distribution and transmission interconnection projects, and other emerging work or new technologies. These substation projects encompass equipment replacement, asset separation, rebuilds, and the development of new (greenfield) substations. Through these initiatives, our department plays a crucial role in transforming our energy infrastructure to facilitate the integration of diverse renewable generation sources directly into our transmission and distribution systems. 

As a Gridtern, you will shadow substation engineers as they advance projects through various stages of engineering. You will assist engineers with tasks such as battery sizing studies, ground grid design and analysis, drawing markups, and drawing reviews. Additionally, you will have weekly opportunities to visit various substations, generating facilities, control centers, and equipment manufacturers. This internship will provide you with valuable hands-on experience in substation engineering and insights into the evolving energy landscape. 

Intelligent Substation Design and Standards 

Our Intelligent Substation Design and Standards team provides essential services to substation engineering and design, including ProjectWise workflow management and updates to engineering and design standards.  

As a Gridtern, you will review electrical schematics and both AC and DC drawings. You may also be tasked with building Power BI dashboards, consolidating SharePoint resources, and undertaking process improvement initiatives to support engineering and design efforts. This internship offers valuable experience in substation engineering and the opportunity to contribute to important projects within the energy sector. 

Distributed Generation Standards & New Technology 

Our DG Standards & New Technology team is dedicated to developing distributed generation (DG) standards and evaluating and adopting new technologies to achieve our vision of a clean, fair, and affordable energy future. They collaborate with universities, government agencies, and non-profit research organizations on research initiatives and manage new technology pilot programs. 

As a Gridtern, you will support engineers in evaluating and assessing new technologies and research funding opportunities. You will also help prepare newsletters that highlight key projects and initiatives led by the Reliability and R&D group. Additionally, you will assist in preparing updates for distributed generation interconnection standards. This internship will provide you with valuable experience in the field of distributed generation and the opportunity to contribute to innovative projects that shape the future of energy. 

Advanced Protection and Integration 

Our Advanced Protection and Integration team focuses on new technology within the realm of Protection and Controls, overseeing the design, implementation, and strategy related to innovations such as digital substations. The team’s primary activities include investigating technologies linked to protection and control (including IEC 61850), conducting tests, supporting pilot projects, and providing field assistance. 

As a Gridtern, you will support the development of standards and templates related to new technology. You will assist engineers in laboratory equipment testing and contribute to pilot project data collection and design cleanup. This internship will provide you with valuable experience in cutting-edge technology and the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of protection and control systems in the energy sector.