2021 Shultz Energy Fellowships: California Energy Commission, Office of Commissioner Andrew McAllister
Regional-, 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 students into energy and climate ecosystems in the West through the Shultz Energy Fellowships program (formerly Stanford Energy Internships in California and the West), an energy-related summer fellowship program for undergraduate and graduate students.
Named in honor of former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, one of the most widely admired American public servants of the past half-century, the program offers a suite of paid, energy-related public service fellowships for Stanford students in California, Colorado, Utah, and Hawaii during the summer.
You will be one of two Stanford students placed at the California Energy Commission (CEC); and will be with the office of Commissioner Andrew McAllister in Sacramento. The fellowship runs from Monday, June 21, 2021 to Friday, August 27, 2021.
Organization/Agency mission or role in state government
The California Energy Commission is the state's primary energy policy and planning agency. Created by the Legislature in 1974 and located in Sacramento, the California Energy Commission has seven core responsibilities:
- Advancing State Energy Policy — As the state's primary energy policy and planning agency, the California Energy Commission prepares the Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) and collaborates with state and federal agencies, utilities, and other stakeholders to develop and implement state energy policies.
- Achieving Energy Efficiency — Since 1975, the California Energy Commission has been responsible for reducing the state's electricity and natural gas demand primarily by adopting new Building and Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards that have contributed to keeping California's per capita electricity consumption relatively low.
- Investing in Energy Innovation — Since 1975, the California Energy Commission has advanced innovation through its energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D) programs by investing millions of dollars in technologies to improve California's energy systems and resources.
- Developing Renewable Energy — The California Energy Commission is involved in many efforts to promote and support renewable energy development.
- Transforming Transportation — Transportation accounts for a major portion of California's energy budget and has a significant impact on air quality. It is also the single largest source of the State's greenhouse gas emissions.
- Overseeing Energy Infrastructure — The California Energy Commission is responsible for the certification and compliance of thermal power plants 50 megawatts (MW) and larger, including all project-related facilities in California.
- Preparing for Energy Emergencies — In 1988, the California Energy Commission developed California's first comprehensive Energy Shortage Contingency Plan that was nationally recognized. Today, the Energy Commission continues to lead the State's energy emergency planning efforts.
Potential Projects
Commissioner J. Andrew McAllister, PhD, is the lead commissioner at the California Energy Commission over buildings, electricity, gas and data. Commissioner McAllister’s office is engaged in building decarbonization policymaking in a manner that maximizes equity, cost reduction and system reliability. Commissioner McAllister’s office will be overseeing several data driven, highly technical programs in parallel in 2021 that aim to achieve these goals; some will be stand-alone programs, others will be incorporated in the 2021 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR), which Commissioner McAllister will also lead. These include:
- An analysis of the ability of the gas system to contribute to the California’s climate goals, and an analysis of the extent to which a planned, equitable retirement of portions of the system might therefore be necessary.
- An analysis to ensure reliability of the electricity system in summer the of 2021.
- The establishment of first-in-the-nation standards enabling load flexibility for appliances.
- Analysis of customer-level utility usage data to better understand the potential for buildings to decarbonize in a manner that enhances renewable integration and system reliability.
- The establishment of a statewide program incenting building decarbonization technologies in new, low-incoming housing.
- The continuation of policy and analytical work to assess potential for buildings to rapidly decarbonize.
A summer fellow will have the opportunity to work with Commissioner McAllister and his staff to create a project that contributes meaningful to one or many of these ongoing projects.
Potential Mentors
- Andrew McAllister, PhD, Commissioner
- Bryan Early, Chief of Staff to Commissioner McAllister
2020 CEC Graduate Fellow
- Sindhu Nathan '22, PhD Student in Chemical Engineering
- Learn more about Sindhu's experience at the CEC:
- View Sindhu's final project.
- Strong research skills
- Writing and public speaking skills are highly desired
All Shultz fellows must be enrolled in the spring quarter before their fellowship.
All Shultz fellows must take a one-unit spring workshop course, 'Energy Policy in California and the West' taught by Bruce Cain and Sally Benson 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 / ENERGY 73. Schedule: Wednesdays from 10:00 am - 11:00 am (Remote: Synchronous).
Please note that this opportunity is for graduate students. Interested undergraduates can apply via SIG.