2026 Shultz Energy Fellowships: California Public Utilities Commission, Office of Commissioner Harada
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 to Friday, August 28, 2026.
Organization/Agency mission or role in state government
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regulates privately owned electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, railroad, rail transit, and passenger transportation companies, in addition to authorizing video franchises.
The CPUC's five Governor-appointed Commissioners, as well as its 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.
Assignment
Placed in the Office of Commissioner Harada, the fellow will have the opportunity to observe and support commissioner-level deliberation and decision-making firsthand by participating in preparation for Commission voting meetings, and will support active CPUC proceeding management. The fellow will also support areas of active focus for the office, examining the history of Advanced Metering Infrastructure deployment in California and assessing how next-generation metering investments might deliver ratepayer benefits, drawing on comparative jurisdictional experience.
A second research focus will trace the history of electric utility municipalization and public power efforts in California, analyzing the political and economic forces driving renewed interest in municipal ownership and drawing lessons from past and ongoing efforts for how California might approach utility structure questions in pursuit of its climate goals.
Mentor
- Adam Buchholz, Acting Chief of Staff - Office of Commissioner Harada
Work Environment
This is a hybrid opportunity in the San Francisco office.
NOTE: This application is being reviewed on a rolling basis. Please submit as soon as you can.
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Research skills to identify and assess comparable approaches to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and utility ownership models from other jurisdictions
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Interest in energy policy and utility regulation, particularly metering technology, grid modernization, utility governance structures, and California's climate goals
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Analytical thinking to evaluate ratepayer benefits, cost-benefit analyses of infrastructure investments, and the political and economic forces shaping utility structure decisions
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Clear communication skills to present research findings, comparative analyses, and policy recommendations to commissioners and stakeholders
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Ability to synthesize complex information from regulatory filings, technical documents, utility rate cases, and historical policy records
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Comfort working with datasets including utility filings, infrastructure deployment records, rate schedules, and regulatory proceedings
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Collaborative skills to work with the Energy Affordability and Grid Reliability Council and CPUC staffUnderstanding of equity considerations (procedural and distributive) to ensure infrastructure investments and governance reforms benefit all ratepayers, including vulnerable populations
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Basic understanding of electricity markets, utility operations, and rate design (or willingness to learn quickly)
All Shultz fellows must be enrolled in the current spring quarter.
Due to the unique timing of this opportunity, the fellow will not be able to take the required one-unit spring workshop course 'Energy Policy in California and the West' (CEE 263G / ENERGY 73) for credit. However, the fellow is responsible for learning the course content, which includes:
- In-depth analysis of California state agencies' role in energy policy
- The Western Interstate Energy Board and its policy functions
- The Western Electricity Coordinating Council's role in market structures and technology innovation
