监管灵活性

Responsive and Adaptable Regulationfor a Shifting Energy System Authors and Acknowledgments Authors Stephanie BielerCamden BurkKatie EbingerRachel GoldAlex Walmsley Authors listed alphabetically. All authors from RMI. Contacts Stephanie Bieler,stephanie.bieler@rmi.orgRachel Gold,rgold@rmi.org Copyrights and Citation Stephanie Bieler, Katie Ebinger, Camden Burk, Rachel Gold, and Alex Walmsley,Regulatory Agility:Responsive and Adaptable Regulation for a Shifting Energy System, RMI, 2025,https://rmi.org/insight/regulatory-agility. RMI values collaboration and aims to accelerate the energy transition through sharing knowledge andinsights. We therefore allow interested parties to reference, share, and cite our work through the CreativeCommons CC BY-SA 4.0 license.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. All images are from RMI unless otherwise noted. Acknowledgments The authors thank the following individuals for graciously offering valuable feedback on this report and itscase studies. Inclusion on this list does not indicate endorsement of the report’s findings. •Jacob Becker, RMI•Cara Goldenberg, RMI•Erifili Draklellis, RMI•Shawn Enterline, Regulatory Assistance Project•Camille Kadoch, Regulatory Assistance Project•Ryan Katofsky, Advanced Energy United•Caroline Moore, Oregon Public UtilityCommission •Grace Relf, Lawrence Berkeley NationalLaboratory•Josh Ryor, Massachusetts Executive Office ofEnergy and Environmental Affairs•Lauren Shwisberg, RMI•Chris Villareal, Plugged in Strategies•Carrie Zalewski, American Clean PowerAssociation About RMI Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 1982 that transformsglobal energy systems through market-driven solutions to secure a prosperous, resilient, clean energyfuture for all. In collaboration with businesses, policymakers, funders, communities, and other partners,RMI drives investment to scale clean energy solutions, reduce energy waste, and boost access to affordableclean energy in ways that enhance security, strengthen the economy, and improve people’s livelihoods. RMIis active in over 60 countries. Table of Contents Incorporating Agility into Regulatory Frameworks. . . . . . . . . .7 Focus Area 1: Build Culture, Systems, and Workforce to Advance Agility. . . . . . . . . .12Focus Area 2: Refine Docket Processes to Improve Responsiveness and Flexibility. . .19Focus Area 3: Engage Stakeholders Early, Inclusively, and Accessibly. . . . . . . . . . . .26 Endnotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Preface State public utilities commissions (PUCs) play a critical role in ensuring the health and economic vitality offamilies and businesses across the country. Major utilities’ spending totaled approximately $320 billion in2023, and PUCs have decision-making authority over utilities serving roughly 70% of US electricity customers.1State PUCs have historically been tasked with ensuring access to safe, reliable, and affordable energyservices, but now face new and more complex responsibilities due to shifting economics, aging and fragileinfrastructure, and new customer demands for cleaner and more transparent service. Although PUCs areuniquely positioned to orchestrate an equitable transition to meet these emerging needs, their institutionalstructures, processes, and staffing — all essential to PUC modernization — have struggled to keep pace. In 2021 and 2022, RMI published three insight briefs on PUC modernization that included strategies andrecommendations to support PUCs in equitably decarbonizing the electric sector.2The insight briefscovered PUCs’ purpose, people, and processes as PUCs take on an expanding role while still meetingtheir historic mandate of ensuring safety, reliability and affordability. Recommendations included how toaddress the challenges of outdated interpretations of PUC authority, staff constraints, gaps in technicalexpertise, information asymmetry, processes that restrict PUCs to considering only the evidence entered onthe record during proceedings, and a culture of risk aversion. Since 2022, PUCs and legislatures across the United States have adopted a range of recommendationsto support PUC modernization, such as passing legislation that updated and clarified PUC purposes andmandates,iestablishing processes to engage stakeholders more effectively, and creating new staffingstructures to ensure commissioner access to technical expertise.3,ii Amid this progress, there have also been challenges. Modernization takes time and energy from PUCs withlimited resources and can depend on both legislation and agency or state hiring procedures. Meanwhile, thepressures the public servants at PUCs face continue to grow as their mandates and workloads increase. This fourth insight brief focuses on how PUCs can become more agile and effectively regulate today’sevolving energy system while largely operating within the constraints posed by legislation, staffi