2026 Shultz Energy Fellowships: New Mexico, Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, EMNRD
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, New Mexico, and Utah during the summer.
The fellowships run from Monday, June 22, 2026 to Friday, August 28, 2026. Due to the application timeline for this opportunity, and requirement to work in-person, there is potential to push the start date by a week.
Organization/Agency mission or role in state government
The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department's (EMNRD) mission is to manage, protect, and conserve the state's natural resources while promoting economic development through responsible energy and resource stewardship. EMNRD is charged with positioning New Mexico as a national leader in developing reliable energy supplies and energy-efficient technologies, protecting the environment and ensuring responsible reclamation of land affected by mineral extraction, managing sustainable forests, and overseeing the state park system to protect natural, cultural and recreational resources while contributing to a sustainable economy statewide.
Potential Areas for Fellowship Projects
The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department is leading development of the state's first Comprehensive Energy Transition Strategy (CETS), a landmark initiative launched in May 2025 that will provide a roadmap for sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy future across near-, mid-, and long-term horizons. Under the guidance of Anna Aguilera, a utility attorney and former DOE employee who serves in the Secretary's office and oversees CETS, the fellow will work on this sprawling, multi-phase initiative that coordinates across multiple divisions and staff within EMNRD. Depending on the department's priorities and the fellow's skills, they will have the opportunity to support CETS development activities—which may include stakeholder engagement across New Mexico communities, analytical modeling and scenario planning, policy framework development, and integration with recent executive order mandates that advance the state's energy transition goals.
This could include evaluating pathways to ensure all New Mexicans have access to affordable energy during the transition, analyzing community and economic impacts, developing implementation frameworks that align with the state's Energy Transition Act, and identifying strategies that deliver the greatest reliability, affordability, and equity benefits for New Mexico communities. The fellow may also collaborate with other staff in the Secretary's office as well as external partners at New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center to ensure comprehensive policy integration across the multi-phase CETS process. Both EMNRD and the fellow would be able to contribute to this transformative work in ways that most effectively support the state's clean energy goals, grid reliability planning, and cross-cutting strategy development.
This opportunity offers a unique chance to work at the intersection of energy policy, economic transition, and community engagement with experienced policymakers and technical experts, helping shape a more sustainable and equitable energy future for New Mexico communities.
EMNRD Mentors
- Anna Aguilera, Senior Policy Counsel, Office of the Secretary
- Rebecca "Puck" Stair, Division Director, Energy Conservation and Management
Work Environment
This fellowship opportunity will be in-person with the option to work at the Santa Fe or Albuquerque office in New Mexico.
NOTE: This application is being reviewed on a rolling basis. Please submit as soon as you can.
- Interest in climate, clean energy, or public health, and curiosity about how research can inform real-world policy
- Basic experience with data analysis, through coursework, projects, or internships (e.g., Excel, Python, R, or similar tools)
- Comfort working with datasets and learning new tools as needed
- Interest in understanding policy impacts, including health benefits and procedural and distributive equity considerations
- Clear communication skills and enthusiasm for collaborating with researchers and policymakers
- Fellow needs to help define both qualitative direction and quantitative magnitude/targets for energy transition goals
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Ability to think analytically about policy direction and targets, including both qualitative frameworks and quantitative magnitude/goals
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
As well as fluency with the host agency: New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. More information will be shared on our crash course offering.
