center for partnerships & innovation

NARUC Center for Partnerships & Innovation

Search through the selection of publications developed by the Center for Partnerships & Innovation.

CPI Publications

February 9, 2023
State Energy Justice Roundtable Series: Energy Justice Metrics
State Energy Justice Roundtable Series: Energy Justice Metrics by Jasmine McAdams, Feb 2023
February 9, 2023
State Energy Justice Roundtable Series: Customer Affordability and Arrearages
State Energy Justice Roundtable Series: Customer Affordability and Arrearages by William McCurry. February 2023
February 9, 2023
State Energy Justice Roundtable Series: Participation in Decision Making
State Energy Justice Roundtable Series: Participation in Decision Making by Tanya Paslawski. Feb 2023
February 8, 2023
Mini Guide on PUCs and the Investment Community: Opportunities for Engagement
Mini Guide on PUCs and the Investment Community: Opportunities for Engagement
December 21, 2022
Considering Interoperability for Electric Vehicle Charging: A Commission Case Study
As adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) increases across the United States and charging equipment to power vehicles is installed, the electricity system, states, utilities, EV manufacturers, EV supply equipment (EVSE) manufacturers, and stakeholders are grappling with how to ensure smooth integration of these resources. Interoperability ensures that communication, coordination, and integration of devices, such as electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), are integrated efficiently and effectively.
December 21, 2022
Digitalization in Electric Power Systems and Regulation: A Primer
This report defines grid digitalization, provides concrete examples, and assesses five elements of digital systems that have evolved over the past three decades relevant to the electric distribution system: network interconnection, interoperability, modularity, open source, and automation. This report also discusses the benefits and challenges of digitalization and provides a set of actions regulators can take to support the transition and realize the benefits of the transition.
December 16, 2022
Energy Resilience Reference Guide: Chapter 1 & Chapter 2
The NARUC Resilience Reference Guide is envisioned as a one-stop primer for state public utility commissions (PUCs) to assist in the development of a shared language, valuation framework, and educational tool on the topic of energy resilience. The resilience of the energy system has increasingly become part of commissions’ regulatory scope so informed decisions are made regarding how to best enhance system resiliency. Several states have already established evaluative resilience criteria (via legislative statute or regulatory directive). This guide is intended to summarize many of the critical topic areas within energy resilience and to facilitate adoption of resilience valuation frameworks by which PUCs can weigh investment decisions regarding energy system resiliency. This guide is intended to encourage state public utility commissions to develop their own frameworks that align with existing resources and to provide topical information related to enhancing system resilience to extreme weather, cyber-attacks, a changing energy landscape, and other threats to critical infrastructure. This guide will also assist in continual assessment of new policies and regulations that seek to enhance energy system resilience. This primer attempts to synthesize key takeaways on energy resilience topics. Individual chapters will highlight emerging best practices on a variety of topics, profile individual state efforts at enhancing system resilience, solicit contributions from subject matter experts, and summarize key regulatory considerations for energy system resilience. The objective of the first chapter of the NARUC Resilience Reference Guide is to highlight challenges pertaining to differences in definitions of resilience and encourage state public utility commissions to develop a shared language around the concept of energy resilience. The objective of the second chapter of the NARUC Energy Resilience Reference Guide is to highlight key themes pertaining to creating a value of resilience framework and share current efforts at the state-level at incorporating these frameworks into practice.
December 13, 2022
Potential State Regulatory Pathways to Facilitate Low-Carbon Fuels
States and the federal government are increasingly engaged in the challenges around decarbonizing the electric grid. In particular, regulators, consumers, stakeholders, and utilities recognize the need to carefully consider the role natural gas will play in a decarbonized future. A variety of technology and policy options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with natural gas use are available, including energy efficiency programs, demand reduction tools, strategic electrification, and strategies to reduce emissions from natural gas production, transportation, and consumption.
November 11, 2022
Grid Data Sharing: Brief Summary of State Practices
Grid Data Sharing: Brief Summary of State Practices
November 11, 2022
NCEP Mini Guide on Transportation Electrification: State-Level Roles and Collaboration among Public Utility Commissions, State Energy Offices, and Departments of Transportation
NCEP Mini Guide on Transportation Electrification: State-Level Roles and Collaboration among Public Utility Commissions, State Energy Offices, and Departments of Transportation. The National Council on Electricity Policy (NCEP) is a platform for all state-level electricity decision makers to share and learn from diverse perspectives on the evolving electricity sector. The NCEP mini guide series promotes this dialogue by highlighting examples of successful engagement across its members. Each mini guide features collaborative approaches, lessons learned, and interviews with leading state and local decision makers.
November 11, 2022
Regulators’ Financial Toolbox: Considerations in Evaluating ADMS/DERMS Investments
On October 12, 2022, NARUC presented a Regulators’ Financial Toolbox Webinar on ADMS/DERMS. The webinar featured remarks from moderator Vice Chair Joseph Sullivan, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission; Chris Villarreal of Plugged in Strategies on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); Ali Ipakchi, Executive Vice President, Open Access Technology International, Inc. (OATI); Ted Burhans, Director of DER Technology, Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA); and Commissioner Katherine Peretick of the Michigan Public Service Commission. The panel and this accompanying brief address: • Defining ADMS/DERMS • Deploying ADMS/DERMS • Utility Perspectives on DERMS • State Snapshot: Michigan • Regulatory Consideration of ADMS/DERMS
November 10, 2022
Electric Vehicle Interoperability Considerations for Public Utility Regulators
Electric Vehicle Interoperability Considerations for Public Utility Regulators. An addendum to the NARUC report, Electric Vehicles: Key Trends, Issues, and Considerations for State Regulators (2019)
November 10, 2022
Models for Incorporating Equity in Transportation Electrification Considerations for Public Utility Regulators
Models for Incorporating Equity in Transportation Electrification Considerations for Public Utility Regulators. An addendum to the NARUC report, Electric Vehicles: Key Trends, Issues, and Considerations for State Regulators (2019)
October 28, 2022
Defense Energy Resilience Supporting FAQs for Commissioners
The FAQ was derived from a series of interviews with state commissioners who have engaged DoD partners in the past. Questions are intended for both internal PUC use as well as suggested questions a commission may wish to ask their regulated utilities.
September 30, 2022
Workforce Development Toolbox
This toolbox contains editable content for PUCs to tailor and use in their workforce recruitment activities.
September 29, 2022
Financial Toolbox Summary Brief on Electrification
May 26, 2022 Financial Toolbox Summary Brief on Electrification
September 29, 2022
LMI Community Solar Toolbox brief
LMI Community Solar Toolbox brief
August 25, 2022
Nuclear Energy as a Keystone Clean Energy Resource
Since the first wave of nuclear retirements was announced in 2016, states have started to recognize the value of the carbon-free electricity nuclear power plants provide and the complementary role these plants can play to the intermittent renewable resources of wind and solar. Currently, 13 states have legally enforceable Clean Energy Standards (CES), which require a large amount of their electricity to come from carbon-free electric generating resources, including nuclear. Furthermore, four states include direct financial support through power purchase agreements or zero-emission credits (ZECs) to nuclear power plants, helping to offset some of the financial distress low wholesale power prices have brought to nuclear power plant owners.
August 16, 2022
Compendium of Cyber Incident Notification Requirements for Critical Infrastructure Utilities by State
Detailed list of states who require utilities to report cybersecurity incidents.
July 14, 2022
Enhancing Grid Reliability through Demand Response Surge Call summary
On June 24, 2022, NARUC facilitated a state commission staff “surge” call on enhancing grid reliability through demand response (DR). The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) 2022 Summer Reliability Assessment identifies heightened reliability risks for the summer, particularly for the Midcontinental and Western U.S., as the regions are faced with widespread drought, heat, wildfires, and extreme peak demand. In order to avoid capacity shortfalls, grid operators may need to employ mitigating actions such as demand response to reduce or shift consumer electricity usage. This assessment underscores the increasingly important role of demand-side management (DSM) to help ensure grid reliability in a changing climate. During this surge call, commission staff from Maryland, Nevada, and Rhode Island will share their perspectives on the administration of demand response programs in their states, approaches to engaging customers, and lessons learned and opportunities for the future.
April 11, 2022
Draft Microgrid Framework - NASEO-NARUC Microgrids State Working Group
Draft Microgrid Framework - NASEO-NARUC Microgrids State Working Group
March 29, 2022
Mini Guide on Engagement between States and Regional Transmission Organizations
Mini Guide on Engagement between States and Regional Transmission Organizations
February 11, 2022
Valuing Resilience for Microgrids: Challenges, Innovative Approaches, and State Needs
The United States depends on the delivery of reliable, affordable, clean, and safe electricity. Electric utilities invest billions of dollars each year in generation, transmission, and distribution assets to meet this need. However, experiences with recent natural disasters of increasing frequency and duration demonstrate the shortcomings of this approach in the face of modern threats. Further, as customers rely on electricity for a broader range of important needs, such as transportation, as well as critical life-saving services and mission critical facilities such as water treatment, medical care, shelters, telecommunications, and more, the need to minimize the likelihood and impacts of outages grows. Against this backdrop, resilience has emerged as a key consideration to guide electricity spending, whether from utilities, customers, or taxpayers. Although reliability has been defined and measured for decades with broadly accepted metrics that measure how many customers lose power and at what frequency and duration, resilience considers the electricity system’s response to a disruption and its subsequent impacts on customers. Developing tools and methods to accurately assess the costs and benefits of resilience investments is a critical step toward the goal of mitigating the impacts of outages on customers and society.
February 9, 2022
NCEP Mini Guide on on Transmission Siting: State Agency Decision Making
NCEP Mini Guide on on Transmission Siting: State Agency Decision Making
February 1, 2022
Energy Emergency and Preparedness Data: FAQs ad Quick Guidance on Crisis Communications
Reference guide that describes tactics for developing or enhancing Crisis Communications capabilities with PUCs and State Energy Offices.
January 10, 2022
State Approaches to Intervenor Compensation
Intervenor compensation is the practice of reimbursing individuals or groups for the costs of their involvement in state utility regulatory proceedings. These groups advocate for views and issues that may otherwise not be introduced into the proceeding by the utility, large customers, state utility consumer advocates, attorneys general offices, or others. Programs have been developed in several states to encourage participation at all stages of proceedings before the state Commissions where the costs to intervene would otherwise create a financial hardship. This paper reviews the states with legislative authorization for intervenor compensation, the states with active intervenor compensation programs, and provides insights on program implementation through several case studies.
January 7, 2022
NCEP Mini Guide: Public Utilities Commissions and Consumer Advocates: Protecting the Public Interest
This mini guide describes the overlap and distinction between PUCs and CAs, examines the current and emerging state of engagement between the two parties, and offers ideas for how relationships can be strengthened based on the experiences of PUCs and CAs. To inform the paper, the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) conducted interviews with commissioners, commission staff, and consumer advocates (from state agencies and nonprofits) who have experience working with their counterparts.
December 20, 2021
Issue Brief: Log4j Vulnerability
This one-page brief explains the recently discovered Log4j vulnerability, which may affect critical infrastructure entities.
December 17, 2021
Think Microgrid Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Overview
NARUC-NASEO Microgrids State Working Group
November 5, 2021
Black Sky Subcommittee Use Cases
The intent of the Use Cases document is to amplify themes, challenges, and needs identified in the group’s Needs Assessment deliverable. Each identified scenario examines particular shortcomings identified in the Needs Assessment.
October 27, 2021
Lessons Learned from the Ongoing Response to the COVID-19 Crisis
A final lessons learned report from the Emergency Preparedness, Recovery, and Resiliency Task Force's Subcommittee on COVID-19. The report details key lessons learned for state commissions from the ongoing response to the COVID-19 crisis. The scope of the analysis includes workforce issues, changing business practices, low- to moderate-income customer impact, regulatory responses, utility financial approaches to pandemic response, and other key challenges.
October 27, 2021
Regulators' Energy Transition Primer: Economic Impacts of the Energy Transition on Energy Communities, Environmental Justice Considerations, and the Implications on Clean Energy Jobs
The primer offers a background for NARUC members to understand how the transition from coal to low-carbon energy resources is affecting communities and workers. It also provides further discussion into the environmental, climate and energy justice considerations of the transition, as well as an overview of current federal programs and funding available to support affected communities.
October 27, 2021
Regulatory Considerations for Utility Investment in Defense Energy Resilience
A white paper detailing the regulatory considerations for utility investment in defense critical electric infrastructure, shares the Department of Defense energy resilience policy landscape, and describes processes by which state utility regulators can engage with defense community partners to enhance defense systems resiliency.
October 27, 2021
The Role of State Utility Regulators in a Just and Reasonable Energy Transition: Examining Regulatory Approaches to the Economic Impacts of Coal Retirements
The ongoing trend of coal retirements has disproportionately affected the socioeconomic health of communities where power plants are located. For many public utility commissions, these impacts have led to important questions around the scope of PUCs’ statutory authority to analyze, consider and mitigate losses to host communities within their role as utility regulators. Due largely to variations in state legislative charges, commissions have taken different approaches to articulating what lies within the public interest. This report examines the authority of PUCs across the country to consider non-energy economic impacts beyond direct ratepayer effects, and summarizes approaches that PUCs, utilities and other stakeholders have used to mitigate the economic fallout of coal retirements, specifically.
October 25, 2021
Federal Funding Opportunities Guidebook
A key resource guide detailing available federal funding opportunities for resilience and disaster recovery investments. The Guidebook highlights federal funding program eligibility, reporting requirements, and key regulatory takeaways.
October 21, 2021
Coal and Carbon Management Guidebook: Coal-to-Hydrogen Opportunities and Challenges
This guidebook provides a detailed outlook of the opportunities and challenges for coal and biomass resources and infrastructure to participate in the growing low-carbon hydrogen economy. It also outlines the present and forecasted market demand for hydrogen, addresses how state utility regulators can analyze and manage risks associated with low-carbon hydrogen technologies and summarizes DOE’s investments in research and development for hydrogen production from coal and biomass.
February 22, 2021
A Guide for Public Utility Commissions: Recruiting and Retaining a Cybersecurity Workforce
This publication provides insight on cybersecurity roles within public utility commissions and highlights recruitment and retention tactics for public utility commissions to develop or expand a cybersecurity division, including alternative strategies. Appendices include a compendium of example cybersecurity job descriptions, pipelines to recruit qualified cybersecurity staff, and a list of cybersecurity training opportunities.
February 8, 2021
Opportunities to Improve Analytical Capabilities towards Comprehensive Electricity System Planning
This document provides a summary and synthesis of Task Force outputs related to tools and methods needed to support greater alignment between resource, transmission and distribution planning processes.
February 8, 2021
Task Force Blueprint for State Action
The Task Force Blueprint for State Action supports states seeking to further align electricity system planning processes in ways that meet their own goals and objectives. The Blueprint provides a step-by-step approach for states to develop and implement a plan or series of actions to better align planning processes, based on the experience of Task Force member states.
February 8, 2021
Task Force on Comprehensive Electricity Planning Fact Sheet
Task Force on Comprehensive Electricity Planning Fact Sheet
January 21, 2021
Public Utility Commission Stakeholder Engagement: A Decision-Making Framework
Summarizes emerging stakeholder engagement strategies used by public utility commissions, as traditional utility and regulatory practices change with evolving customer needs, new technologies and shifting policy goals. The whitepaper also offers commissions a framework to evaluate decision points as they design stakeholder processes by providing key questions, emerging best practices, and related resources informed by other commissions’ experiences.
January 13, 2021
Executive Summary: Private, State, and Federal Funding and Financing Options to Enable Resilient, Affordable, and Clean Microgrids
NARUC-NASEO Microgrids State Working Group
January 13, 2021
Executive Summary: User Objectives and Design Approaches for Microgrids: Options for Delivering Reliability and Resilience, Clean Energy, Energy Savings, and Other Priorities
NARUC-NASEO Microgrids State Working Group
January 13, 2021
Private, State, and Federal Funding and Financing Options to Enable Resilient, Affordable, and Clean Microgrids
NARUC-NASEO Microgrids State Working Group
January 13, 2021
User Objectives and Design Approaches for Microgrids: Options for Delivering Reliability and Resilience, Clean Energy, Energy Savings, and Other Priorities
NARUC-NASEO Microgrids State Working Group
January 6, 2021
Understanding Cybersecurity for the Smart Grid: Questions for Utilities
Understanding Cybersecurity for the Smart Grid: Questions for Utilities
October 26, 2020
Artificial Intelligence for Natural Gas Utilities: A Primer
Artificial Intelligence for Natural Gas Utilities: A Primer
October 23, 2020
Appendix B - Template Cyber TTX Checklist (Cybersecurity TTX Guide)
Appendix B of NARUC's Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercise Guide
October 23, 2020
Appendix C - Template SitMan (Cybersecurity TTX Guide)
Appendix C of NARUC's Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercise Guide
October 23, 2020
Appendix D - Template Exercise Evaluation Guide (Cybersecurity TTX Guide)
Appendix D of NARUC's Cybersecurity TTX Guide.