State-Level Equitable Clean Energy Policy

THIS RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP IS OPEN TO RETURNING YALE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ONLY

Background:

Justice Brandeis, in a Supreme Court case, decided during the original New Deal, New State Ice Co. v. Liebmann, famously described how a “state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country,” which is the origin of the phrase that the states are the laboratories of democracy. In that spirit of experimentation, states across the country have developed innovative approaches to equitable clean energy and climate policy. 

One of the most recent – and perhaps most impactful – models is the 2021 Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA).  Sweeping in its scope, the CEJA has innovative and aggressive provisions on renewable energy deployment, fossil fuel power plant closures, limited nuclear subsidies, electric vehicles (EVs), green bank financing, and utility regulatory reform. The CEJA’s provisions on equity and justice are no less ambitious, including a major expansion of the Illinois Solar for All program, prioritizing the closure of fossil fuel plants according to their proximity to low-income and marginalized communities, requiring a minimum percentage of EV infrastructure to be built in low-income and marginalized communities, mandating project labor agreements and prevailing wages in most clean energy projects, creating clean jobs workforce development programs for underserved populations, and establishing a displaced worker bill of rights and funds for transition assistance for areas dependent on fossil fuel production or generation, among other provisions. 

The opportunity:

The Summer Research Fellow will conduct a deep dive into the CEJA, exploring its origins, the history leading up to its creation, the coalition supporting the law, and the politics of its passage. The Fellow will analyze the detailed provisions of the CEJA, identify near and long-term opportunities and synergies between the various provisions, identify any gaps or potential conflicts with regional or federal energy regulatory structures, and evaluate the CEJA’s potential to serve as a model for other states in the Midwest and beyond.  Over the course of the summer, the Fellow will interact with Elevate Energy, a nonprofit energy services organization in Chicago, Illinois committed to creating “a just and equitable world in which everyone has clean and affordable heat, power, and water in their homes and communities — no matter who they are or where they live.” 

Elevate Energy was a leading voice advocating for the passage of the CEJA and has deep experience designing and implementing programs to make the “benefits and services of the clean energy economy accessible to everyone,” including administering the Illinois Solar for All Program, running a clean energy jobs accelerator, and creating innovative efficiency and demand response programs with a low- and moderate-income focus. The Fellow will also help develop a communications strategy for presenting the Illinois experience with CEJA as a useful case study for potential replication in other jurisdictions.

The Fellow will report to Rob Klee, Lecturer at the Yale School of the Environment, and (incoming) Managing Director of Clean Energy Programming at CBEY.  

Location:

The research fellowship will be centered in New Haven, with flexibility to work remotely.  

How to apply:

Please submit:

• a cover letter (no more than 2 pages) to include:
  • your interest in this project
  • any relevant background/experience
  • why you believe this work is important
  • share any important identity or identities you hold. Note that this is completely optional. Examples of identities that may be important to you might include (but are not limited to): gender, race, ethnicity, political affiliation, generation, education level, cultural identity, occupation, sexuality, family structure, housing status, mental health (health status/ability), incarceration status, institution affiliation, primary language, religion, immigration status, medical history, first-generation, income/ socio-economic class, quality of education, occupation, and/or parent's education.
• your resume 

Please email the above directly to cbey@yale.edu with “CBEY Planetary Solutions Internship Program in Clean Energy - Elevate Energy” in the subject line. Application deadline is 11:59 PM ET on April 10, 2022.