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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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 +
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 +
Die USA und insbesondere Kalifornien haben bei der Integration von Elektrofahrzeugen einen Vorsprung gegenüber Deutschland. Zum einen beruht dieser auf der größeren Anzahl von Elektrofahrzeugen, zum anderen auf den unterschiedlichen Regulierungsansätze. In dieser Kurzstudie wird diskutiert, welche Erfahrungen hiervon auf… 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 +
Unprecedented changes are underway in the electricity sector, and regulatory reform efforts aimed at responding to these changes are being initiated across the country. These efforts represent an opportunity for states to undertake new kinds of stakeholder engagement that are… 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 +
RAP’s definition of beneficial electrification asserts that an electrified end use must satisfy at least one of the following conditions, without adversely affecting the other two: Saves consumers money over the long run; Enables better grid management; and Reduces… View Summary +
RAP’s definition of beneficial electrification asserts that an electrified end use must satisfy at least one of the following conditions, without adversely affecting the other two: Saves consumers money over the long run; Enables better grid management; and Reduces… View Summary +
In a RAP webinar presentation, David Farnsworth, Jim Lazar, and Jessica Shipley discussed considerations for ensuring that electrification of space heating benefits consumers, the power grid, and the environment, as well as regulatory and policy tools for implementing the transition… View Summary +
RAP’s definition of beneficial electrification asserts that an electrified end use must satisfy at least one of the following conditions, without adversely affecting the other two: Saves consumers money over the long run; Enables better grid management; and Reduces… View Summary +
Utility regulators in some states, recognizing the quickening pace of change in the energy sector, are looking ahead at how industry trends and policy drivers will affect the electricity system in their jurisdictions. Decision-makers in many other states are just… View Summary +
In a RAP webinar held on June 19, 2018, David Farnsworth, Jim Lazar, and Jessica Shipley outlined principles regulators can follow to ensure that electrification initiatives benefit customers, grid management, and the environment. View Summary +
For electrification to be considered beneficial, it must meet one or more of the following conditions without adversely affecting the other two: Saves consumers money over the long run; Enables better grid management; and Reduces negative environmental impacts. Beneficial… View Summary +
Traditional “cost-of-service” regulation, where the rate of return is set on rate base, gives utilities incentives to invest in additional infrastructure to increase their own revenues, even when less expensive options are available to meet customers’ needs. The adoption of… View Summary +