Advanced Energy Perspectives

With 2022 more than halfway through, AEE returns with the latest edition of its biennial top utility regulatory trends roundup. Utility regulatory commissions across the country have been off to a busy start, navigating supply chain hurdles, inflationary pressures, extreme weather events, and the accelerated adoption of clean energy technologies. With PowerSuite, AEE’s policy tracking platform, we cut through the noise to provide insights on the trends shaping utility regulation this year and in years to come.

Note: some links in this post reference PUC filings and other documents in AEE's software platform, PowerSuite. Click here and sign up for a free trial. PowerSuite – policy tracking by policy professionals.

In most parts of the country, how utilities plan their distribution systems – the network of poles, wires and other equipment designed to support electricity delivery at the local level – is something of a “black box.” But now, with the continued proliferation of distributed energy resources (DERs) – ranging from rooftop solar to onsite battery storage and demand response – available to help manage electric supply and demand at the distribution level, that black box needs to be opened. Colorado is doing just that by joining a growing number of states that are implementing distribution system planning (DSP) rules for the first time.

Although 2021 is only halfway through, state utility regulators and regional grid operators have had their hands full considering issues at the cutting edge of the energy transition. How can utilities develop resource plans that align with state policy goals? How do all those mobile batteries in the growing fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) get integrated with the grid? How can customers be helped to make smarter energy decisions? These questions and more are on the docket in 2021, and Advanced Energy Economy has been tracking how regulators are tackling these complex issues. Even just halfway in, the regulatory trends from across the country suggest that 2021 will be another transformational year for advanced energy.

“Kicking the can down the road” is an expression often used to describe states’ progress – or lack thereof – on funding aging, antiquated transportation systems. However, Colorado has the opportunity to buck that trend in favor of a cleaner, 21st century transportation future. With the introduction of Senate Bill 21-260 (SB 260), Colorado now has the opportunity to invest over $730 million in transportation electrification over the next decade, sending a strong market signal to the advanced transportation industry while supporting the state’s economic recovery and climate policy goals. Enjoying broad-based support, the bill is on the move.