2019 Stanford Energy Internships in California and the West: California Public Utilities Commission, Office of Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen
State- and city-level efforts are essential in our fight against climate change, especially in the field of energy. Stanford University is committed to helping by integrating its best students into the local energy and climate ecosystem through Stanford Energy Internships in California and the West (SEICW), an energy-related summer internship program. This position is funded; you will be 1 of 2 Stanfords student placed at the CPUC. You will be with the office of Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen in San Francisco; the other intern will be with the office of Commissioner Liane M. Randolph in San Francisco.
The program runs from Monday, June 24, 2019 to Friday, August 30, 2019.
Organization/Agency mission or role in state government:
The CPUC regulates privately owned electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, railroad, rail transit, and passenger transportation companies, in addition to authorizing video franchises. Our five Governor-appointed Commissioners, as well as our staff, are dedicated to ensuring that consumers have safe, reliable utility service at reasonable rates, protecting against fraud, and promoting the health of California's economy.
Assignment:
California faces important policy choices in order to meet its ambitious decarbonization goals outlined in SB 100 & Executive Order B 55-18. This project will evaluate various policy tools for accelerating decarbonization across the electric, natural gas, and transportation sectors. It will also examine what the most appropriate policies for utilization of the State’s bioenergy resources, including heavy duty transportation; industrial processes, renewable hydrogen, and others. Commissioner Rechtschaffen is the lead commissioner on the CPUC’s biomethane proceeding where a number of these issues are joined.
Potential Mentors:
- Commissioner Cliff Rechtschaffen
- Sean Simon, Chief of Staff
- Strong research skills
- Writing and public speaking skills are highly desired
- All SEICW students must be enrolled in the spring quarter before their SEICW internship. Absolutely no exceptions are made to this rule.
- All SEICW students must take a one-unit workshop spring course, 'Energy Policy in California' taught by Bruce Cain, Sally Benson, and Isaac Sevier that will provide an in-depth analysis of the role of California state agencies, the Western Interstate Energy Board, and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council in driving energy policy development, technology innovation, and market structures. Course number is CEE 263G / POLISCI 73 / PUBLPOL 73. This course must be taken in person.
Please note that this opportunity is for graduate students. Interested undergraduates can apply for other SEICW opportunities via SIG.
