For 25 years–since September 11, 2000, the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP) has continued believing in, advocated for, and taken action for the future of renewable energy. From a time when the potential of renewable energy was not as widely understood, we, alongside over 400 young and aspiring interns and researchers, have continuously engaged policymakers and local communities, rising up to the challenge of driving the world toward a better, more sustainable future. 

Many of the interns from those early days have not only excelled within the energy sector, but across a diverse range of fields. In today’s renewable energy sector, yesterday’s breakthrough is today’s history: the renewable energy sector has grown to be one of the most rapidly evolving sectors, where constant advancements are made in regards to battery, electric vehicles (EVs), IT, and artificial intelligence (AI), transforming the world at an unprecedented rate. In this rapidly changing world that is the renewable energy sector, ISEP, together with interns and young researchers, must go beyond the business-as-usual approach and explore entirely new ways of conducting research, making policy proposals, and collaborating with communities.

So that ISEP can continue to be a place where seeds of sustainability are nurtured and cultivated, supporting the challenges of the local communities and the next generation of researchers and leaders… We ask for your help to support us in our attempt to redesign our internship programs, enable our young researchers to freely pursue their inquiries, and further strengthen the training and development programs of new ISEP staff members.

Together, this crowdfunding effort will help ISEP take a bold step forward toward the next 25 years, with 2050 in sight.

Story

Designing the Future of Energy Democracy: ISEP’s 25-Year Journey

Institute of Sustainable Energy Policies is an independent, non-profit organization that drives to materialize sustainable, self-sufficient communities and achieve 100% renewable energy use in Japan since 2000. We have pursued these goals through policy recommendations, community-lead energy projects implementations, and cultivation of next-generation leaders and researchers. ISEP brings together policy, technology, community, and finance, striving to transform the status quo by even a millimeter. 

Going forward, we will continue to build significant connections–between people, between energy and local challenges, and between communities and the world–embracing the concept of “Energy Democracy” and choosing the future of our society together. 

We will continue to embrace the concept of “Energy Democracy”—a future chosen by everyone—by building connections: between people, between energy and local challenges, and between communities and the world.

Today, a new energy future is beginning to emerge through the integration of electricity, heat, and transportation, as well as through digitalization.

We are redefining our role by proposing social models and values that combine pioneering insights from Japan and abroad, contributing to Japan’s and local communities’ energy transitions through both practical problem-solving and ambitious visions for systemic change.

ISEP’s Achievements So Far: Driving Change in Policy, Communities, and People

Since its founding on September 11, 2000, ISEP has pursued the vision of a 100% renewable energy society, carrying out multifaceted activities ranging from policy recommendations to community-based practices and human resource development.

In the 2000s, ISEP worked on proposals for the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme, supported local government policies, and helped launch community-based energy projects driven by citizens, while also contributing to international networks.

Since 2011, following the nuclear accident, we have played a central role as a renewable energy think tank—pushing for major policy shifts and accelerating support for the establishment of local energy projects across Japan.

Another distinctive feature of ISEP has been our early engagement in diverse areas such as social consensus-building, agrivoltaics, and district heating.

Today, as energy, digital technologies, biodiversity, and community development increasingly intersect, ISEP is building on the knowledge and networks we have cultivated to take bold steps toward new challenges.

Beyond 25 Years: Stepping Into the Future

Since its founding, ISEP has welcomed more than 400 interns from Japan and abroad, most of them university and graduate students.

Among them, four continue to work with ISEP as staff members today, while others are active in energy-related companies, NGOs, research institutions, and government agencies.

Some have launched start-ups in the energy field, while others are contributing to international organizations in areas broadly connected to sustainability.

Still others have pursued careers that may appear unrelated to energy at first glance, yet continue to integrate their work with themes of energy and sustainability.

We take pride in the fact that many interns, before stepping into society, have been able at ISEP to engage with both the research and the on-the-ground challenges and joys of energy and sustainability. They have gained new perspectives and ways of thinking, and have gone on to contribute across a wide range of fields.

At the same time, ISEP itself now stands at a major turning point.

As social change accelerates, there is a growing need to review our systems for nurturing young people and to rebuild the structures that support and welcome them.

Three Initiatives for the Future

With your support, ISEP will focus on three key initiatives as we take bold steps toward our “next 25 years.”

① Redesigning the Internship Program

At ISEP, internships have always combined both desk research—such as policy and research-related studies and report writing—and field experience, including visits to community energy projects and participation in local events. Each intern has pursued topics of personal interest, identifying challenges and exploring solutions. We have also offered programs where interns stay for an extended period at local project sites, gaining first-hand knowledge from the field.

Even without special outreach efforts, ISEP has attracted many applicants from abroad, making the internship program an increasingly international environment. In the 2024 internship reflection session, interns highlighted three key strengths of the program: connections, learning, and flexibility.

In terms of connections, interns emphasized the inspiring relationships formed with diverse peers and experts, as well as opportunities for cross-cultural communication. For learning, they valued the chance to engage directly with the frontlines of energy policy and to gain practical insights linking the field with the global context. As for flexibility, they appreciated the hybrid mix of online and in-person participation, which allowed them to take initiative and expand their future possibilities.

Through these experiences, ISEP alumni have deepened their grounding in the energy field and linked their personal interests and expertise with their time at ISEP—going on to make meaningful contributions across a wide variety of sectors in society.

Going forward, we aim to establish a sustainable framework that will enhance the quality of learning and practical experience for young people through initiatives such as the following:

• Field visits to community energy projects
• Creating an intern alumni network and holding regular events both in-person and online
• Strengthening first-day orientation and communication for interns (including ideas such as a “Connecting Lunch” and improved communication tools)
• Hosting intern-led events to provide spaces for dialogue with other young people interested in energy, for research discussions and peer support
• Producing a digital publication where current interns interview and showcase the achievements of alumni
• Providing support for interns coming from afar or for younger interns

②New Explorations by Young Researchers

While advancing ISEP’s ongoing research, young researchers are also striving to open up new frontiers of study.

For example, two early-career researchers are preparing to launch new projects focused on renewable energy and biodiversity. Christian Doedt, from Germany, aims to conduct a comparative study of biodiversity-friendly solar (Biodiversity PV) in Germany and Japan, in collaboration with research institutions in Germany. Yu Takaku, who has been engaged in wetland and waterbird conservation since student days, will explore the relationship between these ecosystems and renewable energy.

With research funding of ¥300,000–¥500,000 per person, they will be able to visit leading sites both in Japan and abroad, collect data, publish initial reports on these emerging themes, and take their first steps into new fields of inquiry.

We envision this as an investment in generating new social knowledge from ISEP. We believe it is of great significance that young researchers themselves pioneer new areas of research and practice—especially interdisciplinary ones—within ISEP, where the integration of theory and practice has always been at the core.

3. Strengthening ISEP’s Capacity-Building Framework and Sharing Our Expertise

It is time for our own internship framework to take the next step. We will review and redesign our systems so that more diverse young people can participate, while also systematizing the methods and know-how we have developed over years of hosting and mentoring interns.

Examples include strengthening our online systems to better accommodate international interns, building platforms that support flexible participation, and creating opportunities for internship supervisors themselves to relearn and explore, as a team, how best to nurture the next generation.

At the same time, we will ensure that ISEP’s researchers and mentors—who have long supported our fieldwork—can continue to engage closely with each young participant. And we are preparing to share these systems and insights with other nonprofit organizations and local communities as well.

Practitioners and Researchers Whose Journeys Began as ISEP Interns

Internships at ISEP not only allow participants to deepen their knowledge through research and field support, but also often bring fresh perspectives and new insights that energize the communities they work with. Some have even chosen to remain engaged with local communities throughout their subsequent careers.

The initial “questions” that sparked each former intern’s research have continued to grow and expand, with their experiences at ISEP serving as the starting point of their journey.

Toward a Hub for Independent Knowledge and Practice

By the time we reach our 30th anniversary in five years, ISEP will continue to maintain its core mission, yet the scope of our research and practice will look entirely different from today. In this process, alumni will find opportunities to thrive not only in the energy sector but across increasingly diverse fields, while collaborations between ISEP and its alumni will grow as well. Building on the support from this campaign, young researchers will establish new communities at the frontlines of research and practice, pioneering new fields.

The future of energy will not be shaped by technological advancements alone. Because energy is the foundation of all social activity, it develops rapidly through constant interaction with a wide variety of fields. ISEP, too, will evolve as a place that nurtures and generates new talent. As renewable energy policies and practices undergo major transformations—intertwining with batteries, electric vehicles, digitalization, and generative AI—ISEP will continue to fulfill its role as a hub that generates independent knowledge and practice, proposing futures aligned with the concept of energy democracy.

In parallel, we will work to make the internship program more self-sustaining, strengthen networks with alumni, foster the strengths of young researchers, and further enhance ISEP’s own capacity-building framework.

Message from the Representative and the Internship Coordinator

Closing

ISEP’s work in connecting people, energy, local challenges, and the world has sometimes led to major policy shifts or outstanding pioneering cases, and at other times has quietly spread over 10 or 20 years through efforts in human resource development and the promotion of new fields. While continuing to uphold the concept of energy democracy, which has always been at the heart of ISEP, we believe that we are now at a major turning point as we look ahead to the next 25 years.

We want to further develop ISEP as a place where the next generation can be nurtured through hands-on experience, while also evolving the institution itself. We sincerely hope you will join us in this important moment—supporting and taking part in shaping the next chapter of ISEP’s journey.

Will you join us in building this future as part of the ISEP community?

Your support will help nurture the next generation of energy and sustainability leaders. Thank you warmly for your encouragement.

Please note: After transaction and platform fees, all donations go directly to supporting ISEP.

Ways to Support and Stay Connected

Please note: The donation (support) button appears on the right side of the screen when using a PC, and at the bottom of the screen when using a smartphone.

Approximate amounts in USD and EUR are listed for reference. Since exchange rates vary, these are estimates only. The actual donation will be charged in Japanese yen.

First Step Plan – 3,000yen

(≈ 21 USD / 18 EUR)

Your support can provide interns with high-quality orientation and an enriching first-day experience at ISEP.

[Our Thanks & Updates]

1. Thank-you letter (online)
2. Internship activity report (online)

Connection Building Plan – 5,000 yen

(≈ 34 USD / 29 EUR)

Your support can deliver networking experiences at events like alumni parties.

[Our Thanks & Updates]

1. Thank-you letter (online)
2. Internship activity report (online)
3. Thank-you & Sharing Event (hybrid)

Connection Strengthening Plan – 10,000 yen

(≈ 68 USD / 58 EUR)

Your support can deliver community-building experiences through their own planned events and activities.

[Our Thanks & Updates]

1. Thank-you letter (online, or handwritten postcard by mail upon request)
2. Internship activity report (online)
3. Thank-you & Sharing Event (hybrid)
4. 25th Anniversary Reflection (online) by Internship Coordinator, Mr. Yamashita

ISEP 25th Anniversary Plan – 25,000 yen

(≈ 170 USD / 145 EUR)

Your support can deliver short-term field learning experiences to interns and young researchers.

[Our Thanks & Updates]

1. Thank-you letter (online, or handwritten postcard by mail upon request)
2. Internship activity report (online)
3. Thank-you & Sharing Event (hybrid)
4. 25th Anniversary Reflection (online) by Internship Coordinator, Mr. Yamashita
5. Name listing on website (optional)

Field Learning Plan – 50,000 yen

(≈ 340 USD / 290 EUR)

Your support can deliver mid-term field learning experiences to interns and young researchers.

[Our Thanks & Updates]

1. Thank-you letter (online, or handwritten postcard by mail upon request)
2. Internship activity report (online)
3. Thank-you & Sharing Event (hybrid)
4. 25th Anniversary Reflection (online) by Internship Coordinator, Mr. Yamashita
5. Name listing on website (optional)
6. Exclusive invitation to young researchers’ presentation (hybrid)

All-in for Youth Plan – 100,000 yen

(≈ 680 USD / 580 EUR)

Your support can deliver opportunities to tackle new challenges through experiences like field surveys.

[Our Thanks & Updates]

1. Thank-you letter (online, or handwritten postcard by mail upon request)
2. Internship activity report (online)
3. Thank-you & Sharing Event (hybrid)
4. 25th Anniversary Reflection (online) by Internship Coordinator, Mr. Yamashita
5. Name listing on website (optional)
6. Exclusive invitation to young researchers’ presentation (hybrid)
7. One-on-one online networking and consultation with interns and young researchers

Contact Information

Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP)

Inquiry Form