2021 Shultz Energy Fellowships: California Public Utilities Commission, Office of Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves
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.
The fellowships run from Monday, June 21, 2021 to Friday, August 27, 2021.
Organization/Agency mission or role in state government
California has demonstrated global leadership in climate, energy and environmental policy. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, California is among the top five states in the nation for electricity produced from renewable sources, and leads the country in generation from solar, biomass and geothermal sources.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is one of the most influential regulatory agencies in the state. 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.
As a regulator of the investor-owned utilities (IOUs), the CPUC has oversight of how electricity providers build safe infrastructure, procure renewable resources and deliver affordable and reliable electric service with a commitment to environmental enhancement and a healthy California economy.
Assignment
A Shultz Energy Fellow working with the Office of Commissioner Guzman Aceves at the California Public Utilities Commission will have the opportunity to help frame successor tariff to Net Energy Metering in California. Commissioner Guzman Aceves was the lead Commissioner to develop NEM 2.0 tariff along with several programs to increase accessibility of distributed energy in disadvantaged communities. In addition, NEM tariffs incentivize the installation of customer-sited renewable resources by compensating NEM customers for energy that is produced and exported to the grid during times when it is not serving onsite load. The successor tariff will be a mechanism for providing customer-generators with credit or compensation for electricity generated by the renewable facilities that a) balances the costs and benefits of the renewable electrical generation facility and b) allows customer-sited renewable generation to grow sustainably among different types of customers and throughout California’s diverse communities. The Stanford Energy Intern will conduct research and provide analysis on NEM strategies done by other states and jurisdictions, as well as provide economic and policy analysis on related proceeding.
For more information please visit: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/General.aspx?id=6442463430
Potential Mentors
- Maria Sotero, Energy Advisor to Commissioner Guzman Aceves
- Sarah Sharpe, Senior Advisor to Commissioner Guzman Aceves
2020 CPUC Fellows
- Mondee Lu, JD-MS '20, Graduate Fellow, Office of Commissioner Shiroma
- Erin Pang, M.S. ’20, Graduate Fellow, Office of President Batjer
- Learn more about Mondee and Erin's experiences at the CPUC:
- View Mondee and Erin's final projects.
- Preferred areas of study include: Economics, Public Policy and Administration, Law, Government, Political Science, Environmental Science, Engineering.
- Interest in energy policy, air pollution/climate pollution policy, environmental justice policy.
- Experience working directly with and performing outreach in disadvantaged communities.
- Knowledge of state initiatives around renewable energy, GHG reduction, environmental justice and disadvantaged communities.
- Attention to detail, professional attitude, and ability to maintain confidentiality.
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.
