Five-year, $24 million NARUC agreement strengthens capacity of energy regulators

The Energy Regulatory Partnership Program (ERPP), a five-year, $24 million cooperative agreement, was signed on Monday to enable the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) to continue strengthening the capacity of energy regulators around the world.

The ERPP, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), supports energy regulators in USAID-assisted countries in their efforts to create environments that encourage investment, protect consumers and ensure fair rates. The program emphasizes clean energy development, including renewable resources like wind and solar energy. It also highlights energy efficiency and demand-side management.

NARUC will work globally with USAID and others to offer expertise, practical advice and knowledge to regulators. The program follows NARUC’s Enhancing Sustainable Utility Regulation (ENSURE) program to connect U.S. regulators internationally to solve challenges and share practices.

“Over 17 years and across five continents, NARUC has worked internationally to improve the quality and effectiveness of energy regulation,” NARUC Executive Director Greg White said. “We are proud and honored to continue working with USAID in its mission to improve regulatory capacity in the developing world.”

The ERPP is the largest NARUC has ever received for its international efforts, and is NARUC’s first internationally competitive program. The program will support Power Africa, a U.S. government led energy access partnership in sub-Saharan Africa. The ERPP will also support ongoing efforts in Latin America, Asia and elsewhere.