Events

2020 Summer Summit Presentations

August 15, 2025
Essential Guide to NARUC Integrated System Resilience Resources
This guide connects commissioners and commission staff to essential resilience resources that NARUC has developed.
August 12, 2025
NARUC Resilience Framework in Action Mini-Guide: Regional Coordination during Extreme Heat
This mini-guide was designed to demonstrate the flexibility of the NARUC Resilience Framework by applying it to an emerging issue: developing a regional coordination strategy to improve grid resilience to extreme heat events.
August 12, 2025
Technology Brief: Microgrids as Resilience Investments
This technology brief explores the role of microgrids as targeted resilience investments, clarifies how they differ from traditional backup power systems, and illustrates their real-world impact through both a rural and urban case study.
August 1, 2025
Grid Reliability and U.S. Coal Fleet Attributes: Considerations for State Regulators
This briefing paper provides state utility regulators with a comprehensive and current understanding of the reliability attributes of coal as a generation resource, potential reliability impacts associated with near-term coal plant retirements, and possible mitigation strategies to ensure a stable and resilient energy system.
July 11, 2025
Valuation of Distributed Energy Resources – Information and Application
This report discusses how several public utility commissions (PUCs) have assessed the value of DER for the purpose of tariff design.
June 30, 2025
Developing State Advanced Nuclear Energy Strategic Frameworks: Guidance for State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions
The resource is designed to assist public utility commissions and State Energy Offices preparing to lead and/or contribute to the development of a strategic framework for new nuclear energy generation projects in their states.
May 22, 2025
Long-Term Planning among Regulated Natural Gas Utilities: A Review of State Requirements
A product of the U.S. Department of Energy-NARUC Natural Gas Partnership
April 1, 2025
Mini Guide: Community Engagement Approaches for Distribution System Resilience
This mini-guide explores approaches and lessons to advance equitable grid resilience through the stakeholder engagement process. It evaluates engagement through PUC distribution investment planning, the roles of various stakeholders, and the drivers that precipitate engagement in grid resilience planning.
February 19, 2025
Essential Guide to NARUC Alternative Cost Recovery Mechanism Resources
This guide connects commissioners and commission staff to essential alternative cost recovery mechanism resources that NARUC has developed.
February 19, 2025
Essential Guide to NARUC Cybersecurity Resources
This guide connects commissioners and commission staff to essential cybersecurity resources that NARUC has developed.
February 19, 2025
Essential Guide to NARUC Nuclear Energy Resources
This guide connects commissioners and commission staff to essential nuclear resources that NARUC has developed, many in partnership with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO).
February 13, 2025
NARUC Resilience Framework
This Framework provides state regulators and other key stakeholders with a structured approach to considering policies and programs that will enhance grid resilience amid evolving technological, environmental, and economic challenges.
February 13, 2025
State Spotlight on Resilience: The Florida Public Service Commission and Storm Protection Plans
This resource provides a comprehensive profile on the State of Florida's potential resilience strategies that can be applied help prevent impacts to the grid that occur with the frequent storms that effect the state.
February 13, 2025
State Spotlight on Resilience: The Michigan Public Service Commission and Data Informed Accountability
This resource explores how the Michigan Public Service Commission is addressing resilience by improving reliability using data. This includes strengthening accountability in maintaining the electric grid and reducing vulnerabilities that could escalate during extreme events.
February 13, 2025
State Spotlight on Resilience: The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission’s Wildfire Mitigation Plans
This resource discusses the impact of wildfires on the State of Washington and identifies strategies the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission takes to address these impacts.
February 12, 2025
NARUC-NASEO Nuclear Resource Repository
Periodically updated list of reports on nuclear energy generation curated by NARUC and NASEO
January 17, 2025
Cybersecurity Baselines for Electric Distribution Systems and DER Interim Implementation Guidance: Scope and Prioritization of the Baselines
This implementation guidance is intended to assist entities wishing to adopt the Cybersecurity Baselines as the foundational requirements of a cybersecurity risk management program.
October 29, 2024
GDO Grid Resilience Framework FAQ October 2024
This FAQ outlines essential aspects of the Grid Resilience Framework initiative developed by NARUC, E9, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office.
October 7, 2024
Energy and Industrial Use Cases for Advanced Nuclear Reactors
This report provides a detailed overview of potential alternative use cases for advanced nuclear and identifies considerations and key questions for state energy regulators and State Energy Offices.
September 11, 2024
Essential Guide to NARUC Microgrids Resources
This guide connects commissioners and commission staff to essential microgrids resources that NARUC has developed in partnership with NASEO.
September 6, 2024
Defense Energy Resilience Engagement Framework for Utility Regulators
This document offers public utility commissions a Defense Energy Resilience Engagement Framework to engage with in-state military stakeholders and support defense-related utility applications.
August 15, 2024
Questions for Public Utility Commissions Related to Assessing Potential Risks to the Distribution System from Older Inverter-based Distribution Generation
This resource presents high-level issues and related questions to serve as discussion prompts for Public Utility Commissions wishing to explore aspects of utilities’ distribution and bulk power system risk management programs related to potential re-configuration or retrofit of older (legacy) DERs.
July 15, 2024
Aggregated Distributed Energy Resources in 2024: The Fundamentals
This report builds upon existing literature and leading examples of ADER pricing and programs in practice to equip commissioners and staff at PUCs and SEOs with the fundamentals of ADER grid services, valuation options, and approaches to compensation.
July 12, 2024
NCEP Collaboration Brief: Partnerships between State Government Agencies and Higher Education Institutions to Support Recruitment
This collaboration brief highlights partnerships between state government agencies and higher education institutions to identify and attract diverse talent—particularly recent graduates and early career professionals—into public sector work. These partnerships fall into three major categories: direct partnerships, which are documented in formal agreements and partnerships between state agencies and higher education institutions; third-party partnerships, which encompass entities outside of state agencies and outside of universities who facilitate recruitment and employment across both types of organizations; and open-ended partnerships, which include more informal, ad hoc partnerships between states and universities that often change when staff change.
July 12, 2024
Regulators’ Financial Toolbox: Keeping Track of Clean Energy
On February 26, 2024, NARUC’s Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment hosted a panel discussion titled “Keeping Track of Clean Energy Part III: Economy Wide Consistency” at the 2024 NARUC Winter Policy Summit. The panel was moderated by Hon. Abigail Anthony, Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, and featured remarks by Wenbo Shi, PhD-Founder/CEO, Singularity Energy; Todd Jones, Principal, US Markets, Center for Resource Solutions (CRS); and Tory Clark, Partner, Energy + Environmental Economics.
July 3, 2024
Collaborative Enhancements to Unlock Interregional Transmission
Collaborative Enhancements to Unlock Interregional Transmission E3 report June 2024
April 9, 2024
NARUC and NASEO Coal to Nuclear Repowering: Considerations for State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions
This report highlights some of the benefits and challenges associated with the coal to nuclear repowering process, with a particular focus on the policy, programmatic, and regulatory considerations of relevance to State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions. Additional resources that walk through the practical steps involved in the coal to nuclear process include DOE’s Investigating Benefits and Challenges of Converting Retiring Coal Plants into Nuclear Plants, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Can Advanced Nuclear Repower Coal Country?, the Nuclear Innovation Alliance’s Resources for Coal Repowering with Nuclear Energy, and EPRI’s Coal to Nuclear: A Practical Guide for Developing Nuclear Energy Facilities in Coal Plant Communities.
March 29, 2024
NCEP Mini Guide: Air Quality Management Agency Engagement with State Energy Agencies
NCEP Mini Guide on Air Quality Management Agency Engagement with State Energy Agencies Prepared for the National Council on Electricity Policy (NCEP), administered by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Center for Partnerships & Innovation (CPI) Prepared by Matthew McDonnell, Joe Goodenbery, and Jennifer Gorman, Strategen Consulting Inc., February 2024
March 6, 2024
Coordinated Grid Resilience Planning: Technical Needs Assessment
The passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), appropriated billions of dollars in federal funding to enhance the resilience of electric infrastructure in the United States. Under Section 40101 ‘Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Electric Grid,’ states, territories, and tribes can receive federal formula grant funding to strengthen and modernize the nation’s power grid against persistent and exacerbated threats caused by the effects of climate change. The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Grid Deployment Office (GDO) to coordinate technical assistance opportunities for state public utility commissions to obtain funding for implementing grid resilience projects under the BIL. To achieve this goal, E9 Insight was engaged by NARUC in May 2023 to facilitate structured discussions with commissions to identify their immediate and anticipated needs related to grid resilience.
February 22, 2024
Cybersecurity Baselines for Electric Distribution Systems and DER
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) has partnered with the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a set of cybersecurity baselines for electric distribution systems and the distributed energy resources (DERs) that connect to them. Cybersecurity is an integral underpinning of power system resilience, and this initiative builds on work that states have undertaken over the last decade to mitigate cybersecurity risk across their critical infrastructures. Electric distribution system stakeholders recognize the importance of enhancing grid reliability, resilience, and security. Indeed, addressing cybersecurity risk is essential as electric distribution systems continue to evolve, spurred by new technologies and operational models as well as the ever-increasing threat of cyber-attacks. The National Cybersecurity Strategy, issued in 2023, also directed the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to “promote cybersecurity for electric distribution and distributed energy resources (DERs) in partnership with industry, states, federal regulators, Congress, and other agencies.” This NARUC/DOE initiative complements industry and government efforts by providing cybersecurity baselines, tailored for electric distribution systems and the DERs that connect to them, creating a common starting point for cyber risk reduction activities. These baselines, coupled with the forthcoming implementation guidance, are intended to be a resource for state Public Utility Commissions, electric distribution utilities, and DER operators and aggregators. They encourage alignment across states that choose to adopt the baselines to mitigate cybersecurity risk and enhance grid security. NARUC convened a Steering Group of regulatory, cyber, and industry experts from across the sector to help execute this challenging task. The development process also included multiple stakeholder review and comment cycles to ensure a wide range of perspectives were considered.
February 22, 2024
NEVI Formula Program Brief for State Public Utility Commissions
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program (NEVI program) is a funding opportunity for all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The NEVI program instructs states to “strategically deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and to establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability.” The NEVI program allocates more than $5 billion to states from Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 to 2026 on a formula basis. NEVI funds are available to private entities, including utilities, to build EV Supply Equipment (EVSE)1 and associated EV grid infrastructure. State Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) will play a critical role in NEVI as they oversee utility investments in this new national charging network, ideally ensuring that utilities deploy infrastructure and technology that is efficient, reliable, safe, and supports the scale and timeframe required to benefit consumers. State PUCs use their regulatory power to review, approve, and deny utility investments and programs to support the new NEVI charging network. As key conveners, PUCs are also providing forums for detailed planning within their states to ensure NEVI-funded EVSEs and related customer and utility investments benefit customers and the grid. This NEVI Brief provides: • A concise explanation of the NEVI funding process, charger requirements, and alternative fuel corridors (AFCs).2 • A description of potential PUC roles in the NEVI process in the context of other state agencies, utilities, and stakeholders. • Key considerations for state PUCs and how Commissions enable NEVI charging infrastructure. • A discussion of how NEVI charger buildouts could broadly influence technical requirements and standards for the EV charging industry and utilities.
February 21, 2024
Essential Guide to NARUC Coal and Carbon Management Resources
This guide connects commissioners and commission staff to essential coal and carbon management resources that NARUC has developed.
February 21, 2024
Essential Guide to NARUC Natural Gas Resources
This guide connects commissioners and commission staff to essential natural gas resources that NARUC has developed.
February 20, 2024
Certified Natural Gas: Primer, Regulatory Landscape, and Contributions Toward a Low-Carbon Future
Utility customers are key stakeholders in the growing CNG market. As the regulators overseeing the affordability, reliability, and safety of utility services by setting just and reasonable rates, state PUCs will play a major role in the future of the CNG market. In order to make decisions in the public interest, it is critical for PUCs to fully understand the costs and benefits of CNG, as well as the incentives for regulated utilities to pursue CNG as a decarbonization strategy. Absent regulatory approval to recover cost premiums associated with CNG purchases, regulated utilities may be unlikely to give CNG serious consideration alongside supply- or demand-side decarbonization alternatives. This report cites examples from a growing body of state regulatory decisions on utility CNG proposals.
February 20, 2024
Mitigating Stranded Asset Risks to Utility Customers: An Exploration of Securitization and Retiring Coal Generation
A product of the DOE-NARUC Coal Modernization and Carbon Management Partnership
November 8, 2023
Fusion Centers and State Energy Stakeholders: Pathways to Robust Threat Information Sharing
This mini guide explores the current landscape of threat information sharing between fusion centers and state energy stakeholders. Based on interviews with a sampling of key stakeholders, from public utility commissions (PUCs), state energy offices (SEOs), state offices of emergency management (OEMs), and fusion centers, the mini guide highlights areas of successful practice, current challenges, and areas of potential improvements.
November 8, 2023
Grid Data Sharing Playbook
In 2022, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) launched an initiative to support its members in addressing issues related to grid data sharing. The Grid Data Sharing Collaborative was funded by the DOE’s Office of Electricity and Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). NARUC invited programmatic, policy, technical, and cybersecurity subject matter experts from public utility commissions, utilities, non-governmental organizations, energy service companies, and DOE to join the two-year Grid Data Sharing Collaborative to help develop a flexible framework for states to use as a starting point when navigating complex decision-making inherent in grid data sharing. The framework took shape through a series of intensive workshops during which Collaborative participants explored illustrative use cases to identify data needs, articulate the benefits and risks of sharing such data, and assess the trade-offs. Along the way, participants offered suggestions for how the framework could be used in practice. The purpose of this playbook is to describe the elements of the Grid Data Sharing Framework and to begin supporting its implementation.
November 6, 2023
Nuclear Generation in Long-Term Utility Resource Planning: A Review of Integrated Resource Plans and Considerations for State Utility Regulators
As advanced nuclear technologies mature, electric utilities are considering the role of advanced nuclear in their generation portfolios and IRPs. Through the IRP process, regulated utilities convey long-term generation investment decisions to state utility regulators. This report analyzes 17 utility integrated resource plan (IRP) filings to identify important trends regarding nuclear energy for consideration by state utility regulators.
October 31, 2023
Energy Resilience Reference Guide for State Utility Regulators Chapter Three: Climate Resilience Strategies for Regulators
Highlights key themes and regulatory considerations for addressing energy system resilience for specific climate-related threats.
August 17, 2023
State Microgrid Policy, Programmatic, and Regulatory Framework
NARUC-NASEO Microgrids State Working Group
July 11, 2023
Essential Guide to NARUC Electric Vehicle Resources
This guide connects commissioners and staff to essential EV resources that the NARUC Center for Partnerships and Innovation (CPI) has developed.
June 27, 2023
Onshore U.S. Carbon Pipeline Deployment: Siting, Safety, and Regulation, June 2023
Report by NARUC and authored by Public Sector Consultants exploring barriers and opportunities for the deployment of carbon capture, utilization and storage technology.
June 20, 2023
Clean Energy Microgrids: Considerations for State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions to Increase Resilience, Reduce Emissions, and Improve Affordability
This report, Clean Energy Microgrids: Considerations for State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions to Increase Resilience, Reduce Emissions, and Improve Affordability, focuses specifically on how clean energy microgrids can achieve both resilience and clean energy benefits. The paper provides an overview of the challenges faced by clean energy microgrids, outlines benefits that clean energy microgrids can provide, and details economic and cost considerations for the development of clean energy microgrid projects. Outlined in the paper are the necessary technological components of a clean energy microgrid, including generation, storage, energy efficiency measures, and smart controls. Current technologies are highlighted, along with potential configurations of clean technologies that are approaching cost competitiveness with commercially available options. The paper concludes with both policy and regulatory considerations for State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions to enhance the development and deployment of clean energy microgrids. Although it touches on the clean energy microgrids’ role in integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) into the larger grid, this is not the focus of this paper.
February 13, 2023
Energy Resilience Reference Guide for State Utility Regulators Chapter Two: Developing a Shared Framework to Value Resilience Investments
Highlights key themes around 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
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.
September 30, 2022
Workforce Development Toolbox
This toolbox contains editable content for PUCs to tailor and use in their workforce recruitment activities.
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.
June 13, 2022
Energy Resilience Reference Guide for State Utility Regulators Chapter One: Developing a Shared Definition of Energy Resilience
Highlights challenges pertaining to differences in definitions of resilience and encourages state public utility commissions to develop a shared language around the concept of energy resilience.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
October 26, 2020
Artificial Intelligence for Natural Gas Utilities: A Primer
Artificial Intelligence for Natural Gas Utilities: A Primer
October 5, 2020
NCEP Mini Guide: Engagement between Public Utility Commissions and State Energy Offices
The mini guide details ways in which public utility commissions and state energy offices interact, how these relationships can be strengthened and how governors’ state energy office directors and commissioners, as well as staff, can look to further engage with their counterparts. This mini guide features condensed excerpts from interviews with state energy office directors or staff and commissioners or commission staff from four states: Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota and North Carolina.
April 21, 2020
NARUC Smart Grid Interoperability
NARUC Smart Grid Interoperability
April 10, 2020
Advancing Electric System Resilience with Distributed Energy Resources: A Review of State Policies
Resilience is an important focus for state energy regulators, particularly as novel and more severe threats have emerged and caused substantial damage to the energy system and broader society in recent years. Traditional definitions and measures of reliability do not fully account for the array of system threats and impacts. As NARUC observed in 2013, “Resilience fits within the existing structure of reliability that public utility commissions already oversee, but is particularly valuable for dealing with severe and non-traditional hazards” (Keogh & Cody, 2013). This paper aims to provide an overview of the potential resilience benefits of distributed energy resources (DERs) and how commissions can incorporate DERs into resilience planning. The conversation around defining and quantifying resilience is complex and decentralized among numerous stakeholders (Rickerson et al., 2019). Commissions, however, are well positioned to apply a resilience lens to DER deployment strategies given their role in deciding who pays for DERs, what revenue streams DERs cans pursue, who owns DERs, and how DERs are treated in resource planning. This paper does not attempt to draw conclusions from that ongoing conversation but instead focuses on the following questions: • How are state commissions approaching electricity system resilience? What is the commission’s role? • What is the relationship of DERs to system resilience? • How can states implement policies to expand DER deployment in a manner that improves resilience?
April 10, 2020
Advancing Electric System Resilience with Distributed Energy Resources: Key Questions and Resources
State energy regulators have a clear interest in improving the resilience of the electricity distribution system. System disruptions are costly, inconvenient, and can be devastating, depending on the duration. The vast majority of service interruptions are located in the distribution system; unfortunately, these interruptions are increasing in frequency and pose severe threats to the provision of reliable electricity service. While regulators are familiar with monitoring and regulating system reliability – defined by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) as the electric system’s ability to (a) supply adequate power to meet demand and (b) withstand sudden disturbances or unanticipated loss of components – resilience is a newer term that lacks a universally accepted definition and metrics. FERC defines resilience as the ability of the system to anticipate, absorb, adapt to, and/or rapidly recover from disruptions, while NARUC defined resilience in a 2013 paper as “robustness and recovery characteristics of utility infrastructure and operations, which avoid or minimize interruptions of service during an extraordinary and hazardous event.” While state energy regulators have generally not yet arrived at state-specific definitions of resilience, they are paying increasing attention to how resilience can be incorporated into the regulatory process by exploring how to ensure utility and customer investments achieve resilience benefits when possible. This resource has two complementary parts: I: A list of questions that offers an initial starting point for state public utility commissions (commissions) to frame how they review proposed utility investments and considerations that could offer resilience benefits The questions are divided into three categories: (a) initiating a public utility commission conversation about system resilience, (b) considering particular projects or investments, and (c) understanding the broader resilience landscape. II: A list of relevant resources to improve a regulator’s ability to oversee resilience investments and obtain the best possible solutions for customers. The list of resources includes a synopsis of relevant topics covered in each resource.
February 7, 2020
Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Replacement and Modernization: A Review of State Programs
Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Replacement and Modernization: A Review of State Programs
December 19, 2019
Electric Vehicles: Key Trends, Issues, and Considerations for State Regulators
Electric Vehicles: Key Trends, Issues, and Considerations for State Regulators examines trends in EV adoption, provides a synopsis of the types of decisions commissions are facing, and offers examples of recent state regulatory approaches to EV questions. The issue brief outlines the key issues and perspectives that commissions are likely to hear from stakeholders. Topics include who may own charging infrastructure, how to encourage charging during off-peak hours through rate design and managed charging, and emerging issues.
October 17, 2019
NCEP Mini Guide: Engagement between Public Utility Commissions and State Legislatures
The mini guide suggests that a strong and collaborative relationship between state legislatures and commissions is instrumental to establishing coherent, comprehensive and cost-effective energy policies at the state level. This mini guide contains condensed excerpts from interviews with legislators and commissioners from three states: Minnesota, Vermont and Washington.
July 18, 2019
NCEP Mini Guide: Local Government Engagement with Public Utility Commissions
The mini guide identifies key areas in which local governments may engage with PUCs, the potential impacts of local government engagement at PUCs and opportunities that exist to make regulatory processes more accessible for city and county staff. Questions and answers from interviews with local government staff and commissioners or commission staff from California, Colorado, Hawaii and Minnesota are included.
July 18, 2019
NCEP Mini Guide: State Agency Coordination During Energy-Related Emergencies
The mini guide aims to identify organizational models that enable effective coordination, describe their benefits and highlight how some states have overcome challenges that may inhibit successful coordination. To gain insights into how collaborative relationships work in practice, NARUC interviewed state agency partners in Oregon, Wisconsin and Virginia. Interview questions were designed to elicit best practice insights from public utility commissions, state energy offices and state offices of emergency management—all of whom play key roles in emergency support functions related to energy (ESF-12).
July 17, 2019
Sampling of Methane Emissions Detection Technologies and Practices for Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure
A product of the DOE-NARUC Natural Gas Infrastructure Modernization Partnership Administered by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Center for Partnerships & Innovation
July 3, 2019
Cybersecurity Preparedness Evaluation Tool
Cybersecurity Preparedness Evaluation Tool
July 3, 2019
Understanding Cybersecurity Preparedness: Questions for Utilities
Understanding Cybersecurity Preparedness: Questions for Utilities
November 5, 2018
The Interface between Utility Regulation and Financial Markets
The Interface between Utility Regulation and Financial Markets
January 1, 2018
Evolution of the Distribution System and the Potential for Distribution-Level Markets: A Primer for State Utility Regulators
Evolution of the Distribution System and the Potential for Distribution-Level Markets: A Primer for State Utility Regulators
October 1, 2017
Regulating in the Public Interest: An Analysis of the Impacts of Electricity Price Shocks on Public Utility Commissions
The dual trends of utilities' increasing investments in the electric system and decreasing load growth have the potential to put upward pressure on electricity rates. This paper examines whether historic rate changes could illustrate an upper bound for rate changes, and whether those changes resulted in shortened tenures for public utility commissioners. This resulting analysis seeks to obtain insights through analysis of historical data. First, the analysis quantified the magnitudes of rate and bill changes that have occurred since 1990. Second, the analysis identified, both quantitatively and qualitatively, how utility commissioners have responded to or been affected by rate increases. Qualitatively, NARUC staff conducted interviews with staffers from six commissions that had experienced a period of "crisis" that was not necessarily related to rates. In conclusion, the statistics did not identify an obvious relationship between large rate increases and effects on utility commissioners. The interviews did identify a range of effective, ratepayer-centric strategies that have been useful to past commissioners weathering crises.
January 30, 2017
Cybersecurity-A Primer for State Utility Regulators Version 3.0
Produced by NARUC’s Research Lab, with funding support from the U.S. Department of Energy, the third edition of Cybersecurity-A Primer for State Utility Regulators is a manual for state public utility commissions for ensuring that utility systems are prepared and resilient against cyberattacks. Although intended primarily for state commissions, the manual is also readable and useful to a range of policymakers. The new edition is updated to include the most recent guidelines and tools for regulators and the companies they regulate to improve security, with more than double the sample questions and guidance on how to use them.
November 5, 2015
Constructing State Plans for the Clean Power Plan: The First Questions to Ask
CPP Governance draft 11_5_15 MK.docx
November 1, 2015
Regional Mutual Assistance Groups: A Primer
NARUC RMAG Paper 11_2_2015.pdf
September 1, 2015
State Approaches to Retention of Nuclear Power Plants White Paper
NARUC NRRI Nuclear Retention White Paper Sept 2015.pdf
June 1, 2015
Multistate Coordination Resources for Clean Power Plan Compliance
Sample Documents for Consideration
June 1, 2015
Multistate Coordination Resources for Clean Power Plan Compliance
Sample Documents for Consideration
April 1, 2015
Value of Customer Data Access: Market Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
NARUC Evaluating Data Access and Privacy.pdf
March 26, 2015
NARUC Evaluating Data Access and Privacy
NARUC Evaluating Data Access and Privacy 3_26_15.pdf
February 1, 2015
Electric Transmission Seams: A Primer White Paper
NRRI 15-03 NRRI - Seams Primer_3.pdf
February 1, 2015
Getting the Signals Straight: Modeling, Planning, and Implementing Non-Transmission Alternatives Study
NRRI 15-02 NRRI - Non-Transmission Alternatives_2.pdf
January 31, 2015
A Study on Probabilistic Risk Assessment for Transmission and Other Resource Planning
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January 31, 2015
PRA White Paper – A White Paper on the Incorporation of Risk Analysis into Planning Processes
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January 26, 2015
Co-Optimization of Transmission and Other Resources Study
NARUC-EISPC Co-Optimization Final.pdf
January 15, 2015
Load Forecasting Case Study
Load Forecasting Case Study _ UNCC.pdf
December 1, 2014
Data Mining White Paper
Date Mine Whitepaper.pdf
November 1, 2014
White Paper: Long-term Electric and Natural Gas Infrastructure Requirements
EISPC Long Term Electric and Natural Gas Infrastructure Requirements WHITE PAPER.pdf
October 1, 2014
White Paper: Applications of the Energy Zones Mapping Tool
White Paper Applications of the Energy Zones Mapping Tool pdf
September 11, 2014
Study on Long-term Electric and Natural Gas Infrastructure Requirements in the Eastern Interconnection
ICF-EISPC-Gas-Electric-Infrastructure-FINAL 2014-12-08.pdf
September 1, 2014
Gas Curtailment Brief Highlighting Gas/Electric Interdependencies in the Sates
Gas Curtailment Brief Cover.pdf
September 1, 2014
Gas Curtailment Brief Highlighting Gas/Electric Interdependencies in the Sates
Gas Curtailment Brief Cover.pdf
September 1, 2014
Gas Curtailment Brief Highlighting Gas/Electric Interdependencies in the Sates
Gas Curtailment Brief FINAL.pdf