2026 TomKat Center Energy Impact Fellowship

There are two summer 2026 Energy Impact Fellowships. One will be hosted by Kerra and the other will be hosted by Recovered Potential. Read a brief project description from both teams, and visit our website for a more in depth description.

Kerra

Project Description

Kerra is creating keratin-based materials from waste wool, diverting agricultural waste while supporting rural communities and building the foundation for a global keratin economy. Over the summer, fellows will develop a clear environmental and commercial picture of waste wool valorization by (1) building an emissions baseline for the current waste-wool system and quantifying reductions enabled through keratin extraction and material pathways, (2) mapping regional wool supply and modeling the economics of aggregation, transportation, and distributed sourcing, and (3) analyzing the regulatory and carbon accounting frameworks that shape agricultural by-product aggregation and eligibility for climate incentives (including carbon credit revenue streams). The team will synthesize findings into recommendations on high-opportunity regions, supply-chain strategy, and policy-enabled pathways for scaling impact.
 

Recovered Potential

Project Description

Recovered Potential is developing a modular electrochemical stripping process that selectively recovers, purifies, and concentrates ammonia from ammonia-containing waste streams. Over the summer, fellows will refine techno-economic and life-cycle assessment models, map and prioritize industrial wastewater market segments through desk research and expert interviews, evaluate recovered-nutrient product off-take pathways (including product form, transportation, and certification), and benchmark ECS against incumbent and emerging nutrient-management approaches. Fellows will synthesize these insights into actionable recommendations for market entry, process and product development, distribution, and regulatory engagement, delivered in a final report and presentation.