National environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act (CAA) and Clean Water Act (CWA), are dynamic and require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regularly update pollution standards. As a result, these regulations routinely change in ways that state public utility commissions (PUCs) must consider. Commissioners must find ways to ensure resource adequacy, reliability, and reasonable rates for consumers, while also achieving affordable compliance with national public health and environmental standards. These decisions can profoundly impact utility rates and resource plans, and typically involve unfamiliar territory for utility regulators (e.g., compliance with State Implementation Plan obligations under the CAA).

RAP recommends that PUC commissioners and staff cooperate and regularly communicate with their state environmental agencies to establish integrated, multi-pollutant planning processes. Such a processes should consider energy efficiency and renewable energy resources, as well as other cost-effective measures to reduce air pollution. The resources gathered below are intended to provide more detailed background information, policy recommendations, and best-practices.

Follow the links below to access resources related to a particular issue.

• Energy Efficiency
• Environmental Regulation
• Integrating Renewable Resources
• Regulatory Principles
• Resource Planning

RAP and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) designed this Knowledge Management Series to provide PUC Commissioners and staff with the necessary resources and process frameworks to properly weigh these choices and the challenges associated with environmental compliance. Over time, we will add new reports and publications by RAP, LBNL, and other organizations to the library to provide PUC Commissioners and staff with accessible and relevant materials.