Group releases guide on the engagement between utility commissions, state energy offices
The National Council on Electricity Policy released a new guide on the engagement between Public Utility Commissions and State Energy Offices.
This is the fourth in its series of “mini” guides that have been released, promoting dialogue among state-level electricity decision-makers. Each guide features collaborative approaches, lessons learned, and interviews with leading state and local decision-makers. It was authored by experts from the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO).
The authors state that increased communication between these two state agencies is critical to fostering understanding and managing through rapid changes. It details how public utility commissions and state energy offices interact and how these relationships can be strengthened. It includes excerpts from interviews with state energy office directors or staff and commissioners or commission staff from four states: Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, and North Carolina.
“This mini guide offers valuable insights into how and why public utility commissions and state energy offices operate in the ways that they do, while also offering numerous valuable examples and suggestions for how to enhance collaboration within those constructs,” Danielle Sass Byrnett, NARUC Center for Partnerships & Innovation director, said.
Cassie Powers, managing director for Programs at NASEO, said state energy offices and public utility commissions have a long tradition of strong cooperation and coordination within the states.
“This mini guide will provide our respective members with the tools to strengthen their relationships further and is another example of robust NASEO-NARUC coordination on the national level,” she said.
The National Council on Electricity Policy (NCEP) is a platform for state level electricity decision-makers to share and learn from diverse perspectives on the electricity sector. Members include over 200 representatives from public utility commissions, air and environmental regulatory agencies, governors’ staffs and state energy offices, legislatures, and consumer advocates.
