Forum Mobility, Half Moon Bay, CA
My internship was with Forum Mobility, a startup that aims to provide access to electric drayage (heavy-duty shipping from ports to a cargo’s first destination) trucks and a network of electric charging stations to independent operators in the state of California. The company is in its early stages and is focusing on developing its first suite of sites near the ports of California, securing investments to bankroll this expansion, while understanding and shaping the policy environment that supports the nascent electric-vehicle drayage industry. The company operates remotely, but I did have the opportunity to see some of my coworkers in person at Forum’s lawyer’s office in downtown San Francisco, which was a great opportunity to meet the people I had been working with.
Throughout my time with Forum Mobility, I worked on a variety of interesting projects. First, I created a matrix that cataloged the different zoning codes of more than 15 municipalities and counties near the major ports of California. This project required flexibility, as no zoning codes had specific provisions for the type of projects Forum Mobility will be developing. I compiled a list of the different possible uses under which a project could be permitted and a description of specific requirements or restrictions of the local government. My next major focus was researching different local, state and federal regulations and incentives that impact Forum Mobility’s business. In collaboration with the other interns, I compiled a policy matrix that summarized all relevant policies in the state of California and a separate matrix that compared the policies of other states. As a part of the policy research, I helped create Forum’s comments on the proposed changes to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which went to the California Air Resources Board.
Another project focus was drafting a response to an RFI from the Port of San Diego. This project required me to explain every aspect of Forum Mobility’s business model, create draft site plans and run a financial model to estimate the cost of developing the proposed sites. Working on this project gave me a deeper understanding of the financial side of the company, the specifics of site design and the EV charging and drayage trucking technology currently available. Finally, I updated and standardized the company’s Google Earth Pro platform, which holds spatial data on all sites that Forum Mobility has leased, is negotiating or is interested in.
This internship confirmed that I am interested in the decarbonization space as a career path. Knowing this, I am hoping to take more coursework within the environmental studies department and take classes focused on environmental economics within the economics department. Additionally, the remote nature of this position was difficult for me to navigate at times. In the future, I want to find positions that are either hybrid or fully in-person.
Finally, I would like to extend a special thanks to the ’68 Center for Career Exploration and Mr. and Mrs. Case. Your generosity has allowed me to have a deeply enriching summer experience.