2023 Shultz Energy Fellowships: California Public Utilities Commission, Office of President Alice Busching Reynolds
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, Nevada, Utah, and Hawaii during the summer.
The fellowships run from Monday, June 26, 2023 to Friday, September 1, 2023.
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
California faces important policy choices in order to meet its ambitious decarbonization goals outlined in Senate Bill 100 (2018) and Executive Order B 55-18.
The CPUC, has long recognized the value and importance of incentivizing load shifting technologies to support our state’s climate, carbon and affordability goals, whether through electric vehicles, building decarbonization or storage adoption. This project will evaluate various policy tools that will move us even farther toward our decarbonization goals through the development of dynamic prices and standardized signals to unleash the full potential of load shifting technologies.
President Reynolds is the lead Commissioner on the CPUC’s Demand Flexibility and Energy Storage proceedings. She is closely involved in the Integrated Resource Planning, Long-Term Gas Planning, and Transportation Electrification proceedings as well.
The CPUC anticipates staff will have a flexible hybrid work policy for summer 2023.
Potential Mentor
- Kerry Fleisher, Energy Policy Advisor to President Alice Reynolds
2022 CPUC Fellows
- Jill Grey Ferguson ‘26, Doctoral Student in Environment and Resources
Graduate Fellow, Office of Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen - Learn more about Jill's experience at the CPUC:
- Allison Chow, MS '23, CEE - Atmosphere/Energy Program
Graduate Fellow, Office of Commissioner Darcie Houck - Learn more about Allison's experience at the CPUC:
- 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 and Visiting Fellow Felicia Marcus 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 10:30 am - 11:30 am (Shriram Ctr BioChemE 368).
Please note that this opportunity is open to graduate students. Interested undergraduate students can apply via SIG.
