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Policy Brief

FERC Transmission: The Highest-Yield Reforms

By David Littell, Elaine Prause, Frederick Weston

Most of America’s transmission grid was built in the 20th century to serve central power stations burning coal, oil, more recently, fossil gas, and nuclear stations.  In a world where solar and wind energy are now less expensive than fossil-fuel generated energy — and much less expensive with the costs of pollution are considered — it is indisputable that ...

Transmission Planning Download View Summary
Presentation

Putting the Customer First: How States Can Keep Driving the Energy Transition

By David Littell, Nancy Seidman, Jessica Shipley, John Shenot, Richard Sedano

In a roundtable webinar discussion, RAP staff highlighted what states can do (and are doing) on a variety of topics — from performance regulation to system planning to rate design — to navigate the energy transition with the customer’s interests always a top priority. The panel also discussed opportunities stemming from federal action....

Regulation and Governance Download View Summary
February822
Webinar (video)

Putting the Customer First: How States Can Keep Driving the Energy Transition

The urgency and speed of the energy transition presents a variety of opportunities for states. They have a chance to move forward with regulatory reforms that put utility customers at the center of the transition. And they can reimagine traditional approaches to the regulatory process by continuing to make it more transparent, equitable, and proactive....

Policy Brief June 15, 2021

Sharing the Good Stuff: Best Practices From Three Minnesota Initiatives

By Carl Linvill, Megan Anderson, David Littell, Camille Kadoch, David Farnsworth

Utility regulators, whether they be veterans or new to the job, are often eager to make a positive impact on the transformation of the electric sector by addressing such areas as distributed generation and storage, electric vehicles (EVs) and carbon policy. Many commissions are breaking new ground in these and other areas and can serve as examples to their peers....

Distributed Generation, Electric Vehicles, Regulation and Governance Download View Summary
Policy Brief October 20, 2020

Time-Varying Rates in New England: Opportunities for Reform

By David Littell, Joni Sliger

​Although some New England utilities offer modernized rates for special applications, like electric vehicles and battery storage, there is substantial room for improvement in time-varying residential pricing. This policy brief, the last in a series examining rate design issues across New England, looks more closely at time-varying rates offered by utilities in ...

Pricing and Rate Design Download View Summary
Policy Brief June 18, 2020

Get What You Need: Reclaiming Consumer-Centric Resource Adequacy

By Michael Hogan, David Littell

​​PJM and the other U.S. independent system operators/regional transmission operators have a record of delivering enormous consumer benefits in the 20-plus years since organized wholesale markets were first introduced in the United States. But the Minimum Offer Price Rule order issued by FERC in December – requiring PJM to rewrite its capacity market rules ...

Power Markets and Reliability Download View Summary
Policy Brief May 13, 2020

Metrics to Measure the Effectiveness of Electric Vehicle Grid Integration

By David Littell, Jessica Shipley, Megan Anderson

​The transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) presents a unique opportunity for the utility sector. EVs have the ability to become a valuable grid resource because of their flexibility, but if their integration is not well-managed, they could add to load at inopportune times, increasing costs and carbon emissions. This p...

Electric Vehicles, Regulation and Governance Download View Summary
Policy Brief

Performance Incentives for Cost-Effective Distribution System Investments

By David Littell, Megan Anderson, Jessica Shipley

This policy brief, a generic version of a memo provided for a state public utility commission, considers starting points for how to apply performance-based regulation and associated performance incentive mechanisms to distribution system investments by utilities. Ensuring that such investments are cost-effective begins by outlining goals that a state utility c...

Distribution Resource Planning, Regulation and Governance Download View Summary
Policy Brief February 26, 2020

Rate Designs That Work for a Modern, Customer-Oriented Grid

By David Littell, Joni Sliger

Technology has evolved faster than utility-offered rate designs have, and consumer choice will continue to grow as advanced energy technologies -- from electric vehicles to battery storage -- and smart grid optionality become available. These changes should likewise prompt advances in electricity pricing, in order to send price signals that are consistent with gr...

Distributed Generation, Electric Vehicles, Pricing and Rate Design, Storage Download View Summary
Policy Brief October 29, 2019

Flexibility for the 21st Century Power System

By Carl Linvill, Jim Lazar, David Littell, Jessica Shipley, David Farnsworth

Perhaps the most basic of electricity sector rules, one that has operated for over a century, is that electricity must be generated at precisely the same time it's consumed. For years, grid operators have determined load on a system and adjusted supply by adding available generators to meet it, first with the lowest-cost units, then adding more expensive ones unt...

Electric Vehicles, Energy Efficiency and Demand Response, Heating and Cooling, Integrating Renewable Energy, Market Design, Pricing and Rate Design, Storage Download View Summary