2026 Shultz Energy Fellowships: New Mexico, PRC, Office of Commissioner Aguilera
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 Public Regulation Commission's (NMPRC) mission is to protect consumers and promote the public interest through fair and effective regulation of utilities and essential services. NMPRC is charged with ensuring safe operations and reliable utility services at fair, just, and reasonable rates, regulating electric, natural gas, water, and telecommunications providers to balance consumer protection with utility financial stability, overseeing motor carrier safety and compliance with transportation regulations, and advancing the state's legal, economic, and environmental objectives while ensuring equitable access to essential services that support quality of life and economic prosperity statewide.
Potential Areas for Fellowship Projects
The scope of work for the incoming fellow at the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) focuses on affordability and consumer protections. Specifically, the fellow will support the agency’s obligations under Executive Order 2025-023 by contributing to analyses and work conducted by the New Mexico Energy Affordability and Grid Reliability Council. Additionally, the fellow will assist the Commission in assessing multiple sources to track large-load tariffs, providing comparative data to effectively review and evaluate tariff terms and ensure New Mexico's regulatory framework for large energy users remains fair, competitive, and protects existing customers against undue costs. The fellow will also engage with transmission planning processes that enable greater investment in both distributed energy resources and utility-scale clean power generation.
EMNRD Mentors
Work Environment
This fellowship opportunity will be in-person in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
NOTE: This application is being reviewed on a rolling basis. Please submit as soon as you can.
- Data analysis skills (Excel, Python, R, or similar) to track and compare large-load tariffs across multiple sources and jurisdictions
- Analytical thinking to evaluate tariff terms, cost allocation, and consumer protection implications
- Interest in energy policy and utility regulation, particularly rate structures and affordability
- Clear communication skills to present comparative data and analyses to commissioners and stakeholders
- Comfort working with datasets including utility filings, rate schedules, and regulatory documents
- Collaborative skills to work with the Energy Affordability and Grid Reliability Council and NMPRC staff
- Understanding of equity considerations (procedural and distributive) to ensure protections for existing customers and vulnerable populations
- Interest in transmission planning and grid infrastructure related to distributed and utility-scale generation
- Ability to synthesize complex information from regulatory filings and technical documents
- Basic understanding of electricity markets and rate design (or willingness to learn quickly)
- Research skills to identify and assess comparable tariff structures from other jurisdictions
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, NMPRC. More information will be shared on our crash course offering.
