Knowledge Center
We believe that sharing our expertise and collaborations in clean energy policy is how real, effective change happens.
From reports and policy briefs, to webinars and podcasts—RAP advisors have built an extensive collection of resources providing in-depth analysis and practical solutions to today’s energy challenges.
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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… View Summary +
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… View Summary +
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… View Summary +
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… View Summary +
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… View Summary +
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,… View Summary +
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… View Summary +
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… View Summary +
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… View Summary +
This policy brief dives deeper into rate design for low- and moderate-income (LMI) ratepayers in New England. As always, effective rate design is crucial to achieving regulatory and public policy goals, but achieving broad societal policy goals need not come at the… View Summary +
The rapid growth in distributed energy resources (DERs) has delivered benefits for residential customers, businesses and utilities. This accelerating worldwide spread has also created a challenge that regulators recognize: how to determine the value of these resources for the grid,… View Summary +
Information systems (IS) and information technology (IT), which continue to grow more innovative every year, promise improved communication, services and billing between utilities and customers, better and more reliable service, and greater visibility into the operations of utility grids. View Summary +
Maps showing the average monthly customer bill in each New England state (left) and rates per kilowatt-hour for large utilities throughout the region (right). Household electricity bills vary significantly across the United States, but in no region do… View Summary +
In a webinar presentation moderated by David Farnsworth, Carl Linvill, David Littell, Jim Lazar, and Jessica Shipley discussed the importance of flexible resources to the power grid. They offered examples of flexibility from around the country and explored tools to optimize flexible… View Summary +
This report, the first of three volumes of Next-Generation Performance-Based Regulation: Emphasizing Utility Performance to Unleash Power Sector Innovation, examines the concept of performance-based regulation (PBR) and how it can provide a framework to connect goals, targets, and measures to… View Summary +
