Events

Innovation Webinars

Every month, the NARUC Center for Partnerships & Innovation organizes an Innovation Webinar on an emerging issue in electricity regulation. Held on Thursdays from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, these educational webinars are open to the public.

With support from the U.S. Department of Energy, CPI is pleased to connect its members and the public with new research, subject-matter experts, and diverse opinions on a variety of issues relevant to public utility commissions. Presentation slides and recordings for past webinars are posted on this webpage.

Upcoming Innovation Webinars:

Regulatory Sandboxes and Utility Adoption of Advanced Grid Technologies

August 13, 2025 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET | Register now!

Advanced grid technologies can help meet many challenges emerging on the grid, but traditional frameworks for evaluating utility investments may be limiting their adoption. Regulatory sandboxes are being considered as a potential solution in some states by establishing a structured environment for piloting innovative approaches under modified rules to test and quickly scale new technologies. A recent Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report examines a dozen jurisdictions across the United States that have successfully used sandbox-type mechanisms to test advanced grid technologies—such as targeted deployment of energy storage, smart distribution circuits, and dynamic line rating—to reduce peak demand and increase grid flexibility. Jurisdictions also have used sandboxes to trial new customer programs, workforce development approaches, and resilience and cybersecurity strategies. Learn about these experiences from the LBNL report authors and two commissions.

Moderator: Hon. Erik Helland, Iowa Utilities Commission

Speakers:

  • Hon. Riley Allen, Vermont Public Utilities Commission
  • Julia Dumaine, Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Agency
  • Grace Relf, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity sponsored this work.

Past Innovation Webinars