Carter "Street" Roberts '24

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Carter "Street" Roberts

Energizing Change

For Carter Roberts '24, the path to a career in clean energy wasn't always clear. Growing up in Chevy Chase, Maryland, Carter came to Dartmouth to pursue a major in Quantitative Social Sciences. It wasn't until his junior year that he found his passion for energy and climate solutions, thanks to a pivotal experience with the Irving Institute for Energy and Society.

"During my junior fall, I did the TuckLAB: Energy program," Carter recalls. "I was 'off' at the time and interning remotely at a climate science organization, but I lived nearby, so it was a really great way to come back to campus on the weekends and complement the work I did during the week." This program proved to be a turning point for Carter. "I loved learning about all the different parts of the energy system from world experts, and I think that program was one of the first moments where I said to myself, 'Wow, I think I want to do this as a career.'"

A Call to Action

While the TuckLAB program ignited Carter's interest in energy, it was a panel discussion during the Design Initiative at Dartmouth's "Speculative Fiction Project" (co-sponsored by the Irving Institute) that solidified his commitment to addressing climate change. Carter vividly remembers a moment during this event that changed his perspective: "Professor Justin Mankin said to me that 'The U.S. response to climate change has been incredibly disappointing so far...' before going on to talk more about how the U.S. has a responsibility to the rest of the world to address the damage caused from their greenhouse gas emissions."

This frank assessment had a profound impact on Carter. "Hearing him say that so clearly and honestly, I felt a profound sense of disappointment at our country, but it also spurred me to think about how I could contribute to changing that status quo."

From Campus to Capitol

Inspired by his experiences at Dartmouth and with the Irving Institute, Carter has decided to take direct action in addressing climate change. "After graduation, I'm going to be working for the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, helping to finance clean energy projects in the U.S.," he explains. This role will allow Carter to apply his quantitative skills and newfound passion for energy to make a tangible impact on the nation's clean energy transition.

Finding Your Community

Reflecting on his time at Dartmouth, Carter offers valuable advice for incoming first-year students seeking to find their community: "Look for the best in people, and more importantly, look for the people that see the best in you." He acknowledges that this process can be challenging, especially given his own experience of starting college during the COVID-19 pandemic. "It may be hard at first (it definitely was for me during a COVID-19 freshman year), but at the end of four years, that's the thing I think about most when reflecting on Dartmouth." Carter's Dartmouth experience was shaped by engaging courses and inspiring professors. He particularly enjoyed the "Senior Design Challenge" with Professor Eugene Korsunskiy, which honed his problem-solving skills – a valuable asset for his future work in clean energy finance.