California Energy Commission: the frontier of renewable, community-minded energy

Edward Chen
Energy Science & Engineering, '28

I couldn’t have asked for a better freshman summer internship experience, one filled with laughter, inspiration, and compassion. Coming into my internship, I had no idea what to expect. Having explored the energy and climate space at Stanford throughout my freshman year, I was excited to delve into the policy challenges and support that the California Energy Commission provided to the California climate ecosystem. I was enamored with the meaningful work that the staff at the CEC engaged in daily.

This summer, I interned at the California Energy Commission (CEC) in the office of Commissioner Noemí Gallardo. My direct supervisor, Jimmy Qaqundah, the assistant chief counsel under Commissioner Gallardo, introduced me to the CEC’s work with the Opt-In Certification Program.

A few years ago, the Opt-In Certification Program was created as a way to fast-track the deployment of renewable energy projects across the state. Under this program, the Darden Clean Energy Project was approved, which is the world’s largest solar and battery storage project. Over the past few weeks, I’ve looked into ways to improve this program.

One important component is the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). When a project is looking to be developed in a city, it needs to also ensure that the local community receives tangible benefits, such as job training, infrastructure improvements, or monetary payments. Yet, how can we ensure that the benefitted organizations rightfully represent the community? And how can we create a balance between equitable development and speedy deployment? As part of this project, Jimmy and I attended the Greenlining Institute’s “Designing Impactful Community Benefit Agreements” workshop in Los Angeles and engaged with other community leaders. It turns out, CBAs are difficult to create. Between climate protections, economic development, housing benefits, and other benefits policies, CBAs need to consider the right mix of benefits for that local community. I’m inspired by the CEC’s commitment to leaving no one behind, and I drafted recommendations for the commissioners on different models of implementing CBAs to ensure the best outcome for the project and community.

Another component is the interagency collaboration between permitting and interconnecting renewable energy projects. While the Opt-In program permits a project, if the project is not in an optimal setting to connect to the electric grid, it could add 4 - 5 years to the approval process of the project! Thus, through my work, I have researched successful models from other states and countries, such as New York and Denmark, on how they have connected permitting and interconnection. I’ve found that building and permitting in prioritized “zones” allows a smooth collaboration between agencies to approve the construction of the project.

Throughout the summer, I worked remotely from home, but I flew up to Sacramento a few times to meet Commissioner Gallardo, Jimmy, and the rest of the team in-person. During my times at the CEC office, I attended the IEPR Commissioner Workshop on Firm Zero-Carbon Resources and Hydrogen. The workshop was 8 hours long, and I stayed the entire time, ecstatic to learn about how technologies such as geothermal and battery storage are making waves in the energy industry. While in Sacramento, I even serendipitously bumped into CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda and his team in Downtown Commons, and I watched Superman in theaters with them!

Another highlight is the Speed to Power AI Conference, where Stanford Energy hosted private, public, and nonprofit sector leaders to discuss the growing energy demand of AI and how California can lead in data center deployment. As a Shultz Fellow and notetaker, I was humbled to be in a room full of leading thinkers and doers in the energy space, as I listened to them discuss this leading issue of the next decade.

Overall, it is an exciting time to be working in California. California was powered by two-thirds clean energy in 2023 and hit 100% clean energy on the grid for 198 days out of 212 in 2025. I’ve had in-person chats and calls with numerous staff across different divisions in the CEC, and the energy and purpose that emanates from each person illustrates the impact the CEC embodies to lead California towards a renewable energy future. Back on campus, I look forward to engaging with the climate and energy program as an Explore Energy Peer Advisor and Stanford Climate Week Co-Organizer!!