2022 Shultz Energy Fellowships: California Public Utilities Commission, Office of Commissioner Darcie L. Houck
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, 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 20, 2022 to Friday, August 26, 2022.
Organization/Agency mission or role in state government
California has been a global leader in implementing laws to reduce the causes and impacts of climate change. It also has been a leader in supporting climate research which has forecasted increasing threats and impacts from wildfires in the coming decades.
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 Houck at the California Public Utilities Commission will have the opportunity to assist in development of rules that will apply to the Commission’s Tribal Land Transfer Policy or TLTP and update current tribal consultation policies. Commissioner Houck has taken the lead on tribal engagement matters, particularly with regards to energy and communications access and reliability, and intends to conduct tribal site visits, consultations, and explore policy and other mechanisms to increase tribal participation in Commission proceedings, as well as ensure clear and meaningful rules are in place for the Commission’s TLTP.
Commissioner Houck is also the lead Commissioner for the Commission’s affordability proceeding, which has recently opened a Phase III to explore what if any changes are needed either at the Commission or through state law to ensure affordability of electric and gas rates to California ratepayers. As rates increase we need to ensure that electricity and gas are affordable to the most vulnerable populations in California. This proceeding will look at research being conducted on this issue from both within and outside of the commission. The work of this proceeding will overlap with work on the Commission’s Environmental and Social Justice Action Plan, distributed energy resources or DER Action Plan, including the load flexibility proceeding anticipated to open in the first part of next year.
The Stanford Energy Fellow will conduct research and provide analysis on these matters, as well as provide economic and policy analysis on related proceeding. The Fellow will also have an opportunity to attend public meetings and site visits on a broad range of matters throughout the internship.
The CPUC aniticipates staff will have a flexible hybrid work policy for summer 2022 but will also consider fully remote.
Potential Mentor
- Pouneh Ghaffarian, Chief of Staff and Legal Advisor to Commissioner Darcie L. Houck
2021 CPUC Fellows
- Carlos Ciudad-Real ‘21, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Graduate Fellow, California Public Utilities Commission, Office of Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma - Learn more about Carlos's experience at the CPUC:
- View Carlos's final project.
- Madalsa Singh PhD ‘23, Energy Resources Engineering
Graduate Fellow, Office of Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves, California Public Utilities Commission - Learn more about Madalsa's experience at the CPUC:
- View Madalsa's final project.
- 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, energy/telecommunications infrastructure safety, and tribal energy issues
- 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 Professor Bruce Cain 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 9:45 am - 10:45 am (Shriram Ctr BioChemE 108).
Please note that this opportunity is open to graduate students. Interested undergraduate students can apply via SIG.
