2025 Shultz Energy Fellowships: California Energy Commission, Division of Petroleum Market Oversight (DPMO)
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, Hawai'i, Nevada, and Utah during the summer.
The fellowship runs from Monday, June 23, 2025 to Friday, August 29, 2025.
Organization/Agency mission or role in state government
The Division of Petroleum Market Oversight (DPMO) is the nation's first independent watchdog agency overseeing the oil and gas industry, responsible for market oversight, investigations, economic analysis, and policy recommendations regarding the transportation fuels market. DPMO is an independent division of the California Energy Commission (CEC), the state's primary energy policy and planning agency, and was established by SBX1-2 (2023), the California Gas Price Gouging and Transparency Law.
Potential Projects
Because DPMO's work is fast-paced and highly interdisciplinary (spanning law, policy, and economics), we would scope the Shultz fellowship project based on DPMO's needs at the time and the student's specific background and professional interests. The fellowship project can fall into one or both of the following categories:
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Industry Analysis & Investigations: The fellow can support DPMO's Industry Analysis & Investigations Branch and Senior Policy Advisor develop a sophisticated understanding of the state's oil and gas industry. This could involve deep research into market participants, including investor filings, earnings call and conference transcripts, and key shareholders.
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Economics & Policy: The fellow can support DPMO's Economics Branch and Senior Policy Advisor develop economic analysis and policy recommendations related to the transportation fuels market. This could involve quantitative and qualitative analysis related to petroleum markets, the clean energy transition, competition and antitrust, and consumer protection.
Work Environment
It is anticipated that this fellowship opportunity will be remote with optional in-person attendance. The Division of Petroleum Market Oversight is located in Sacramento, CA.
Potential Mentors
- Varsha Sarveshwar, Senior Policy Advisor, Division of Petroleum Market Oversight
- Dr. Gigi Moreno, Chief Economist, Division of Petroleum Market Oversight
2024 CEC Fellows
- Claire Petersen, Environment and Resources (E-IPER), PhD '28, Office of Commissioner Andrew McAllister
- Adri Kornfein, Electrical Engineering, BS '25, Office of Commissioner Noemí Gallardo
- Learn more about Claire and Adri's experiences:
Desired Skills
- Background or interest in energy policy, competition and antitrust, and/or consumer protection
- Background or interest in California state government, politics, and policymaking
- Comfortable with qualitative and/or qualitative analysis (if the latter, familiarity with R, STATA, or SQL)
- Excellent written and oral communications skills
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 1:30 pm - 2:50 pm.
