2026 Shultz Energy Fellowships: California Air Resources Board, Freight Technology Advancement Branch
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, and Utah during the summer.
The fellowships run from Monday, June 22, 2026 to Friday, August 28, 2026.
Organization/Agency mission or role in state government
The California Air Resources Board's (CARB) mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. CARB is the lead agency for climate change programs and oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health-based air quality standards.
Potential Areas for Fellowship Projects
Project Option 1: Electrification of Port-Related Freight Movement – Focus on Port of Oakland
This project will support CARB’s mission to reduce emissions from freight transport by evaluating the impacts of electrifying trucks and trains serving California’s ports, with a primary focus on the Port of Oakland. The fellow will conduct a focused research project on freight transportation systems—primarily heavy-duty trucks and freight rail—that operate in and out of the Port of Oakland. The project may include:
- Mapping major truck and rail corridors serving the port.
- Assessing infrastructure requirements for full or partial electrification of these freight modes.
- Estimating potential impacts on the electrical grid, including peak demand and charging infrastructure needs.
- Conducting a high-level comparison with the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to contextualize findings.
Outcomes: A technical report summarizing infrastructure needs, grid impacts, and policy considerations for electrifying port-related freight, with recommendations for future research or pilot projects.
Project Option 2: Identifying Feasible Branch Corridors for Discontinuous Rail Electrification
Discontinuous catenary systems (or “disco cat”) use electrified segments where trains operate under electric power, interspersed with non-electrified segments where trains rely on onboard energy sources (e.g., batteries or diesel engines). CARB is currently researching freight corridors where this approach may be most beneficial and feasible. This project will advance CARB’s research into zero-emission rail technologies by identifying additional branch freight corridors suitable for battery-electric locomotive deployment. Building on CARB’s ongoing analysis of priority freight corridors, the project may include:
- Identifying and mapping secondary or branch corridors that connect to the main electrified routes.
- Evaluating the operational feasibility of using battery-electric locomotives on these corridors, including range, charging logistics, and service patterns.
- Estimating the emissions reduction potential associated with electrifying these segments.
Outcomes: A technical report identifying promising corridors for expansion of zero-emission rail technologies, with a focus on practical deployment and cost-effectiveness.
Project Option 3: Modeling Hybrid Locomotive Adoption in California
Railroads currently rely almost exclusively on diesel locomotives. Hybrid locomotives—diesel-electric locomotives equipped with batteries—offer a potential pathway to reduce emissions by improving efficiency and reducing idling. This project will support CARB’s understanding of the potential impacts of hybrid locomotives by modeling their effect on emissions and energy use in California’s rail sector. The fellow will develop a scenario-based model to project how the adoption of hybrid locomotives could influence the state’s locomotive fleet over time. The project may include:
- Reviewing current and projected locomotive fleet composition and duty cycles.
- Modeling technology adoption scenarios over a 30+ year horizon.
- Estimating emissions reductions and changes in fuel and energy consumption under each scenario.
Outcomes: A technical report that can inform CARB’s long-term planning and policy development related to rail emissions and technology transitions.
Potential Mentor
- Justin Hwang, Staff Air Pollution Specialist
Work Environment
It is anticipated that this fellowship opportunity will be hybrid (in-person and remote). The California Air Resources Board is located in Sacramento, CA.
- Initiative to reach out to organizations for information or interviews.
- Persistence in pursuing data that is not readily available through standard search methods.
- Positive attitude and flexibility to adapt when the research direction shifts due to new findings.
- Aptitude for learning the benefits and challenges of various technologies, and understanding how they impact operational and economical feasibility.
- Compassion for communities affected by the negative health impacts of freight-related activities.
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' 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.
