Affordability and the Art of Regulation

An Evolving Story

“This method of using the least expensive pigments to establish the foundation of a painting before applying the more costly and necessary color was a lesson that carried forward and informed my role as a state utility regulator.”

Insights from the Regulated Utilities Leadership Institute

Navigating

Navigating a Dynamic Industry: “A central theme of the program involved the intricate process of rate setting. Faculty guided participants through the fundamentals of rate regulation, covering revenue requirements, capital considerations, and the methods for allocating costs into rates.”

Thirty Years of Electricity Competition in Pennsylvania

Driving Down Rates

“As Pennsylvania nears 30 years since the Electricity Generation Competition and Customer Choice Act was signed into law, breaking up utility monopolies and creating competition for power generation and supply, I remain confident – and more at ease – with the decision to restructure the market, after analyzing the most recent data set.”

Affordable Grid Modernization, Part 1

Reconductoring

Reconductoring with High-Performance Conductors: “In 2024, Salt River Project completed an eight-and-a-half mile advanced reconductoring project in Phoenix. The project allowed SRP to maintain the fifty-year remaining service life of existing structures while reducing outage-related expenses and still achieving the significant capacity increase needed for growing demand.”

Rate Design and Continued Battle Over Fairness, Part II

The Price Customers Pay

“Rate design decisions influence customer behavior, utility revenue stability, and the perception of fairness. Getting it right is about more than economics; it’s about aligning public service with utility realities.”

Large Loads Coming: Two More Takes

Large Loads

These two articles focus on load growth as both a challenge and opportunity for the continued evolution of the U.S. power sector. The series presents innovative solutions to meet this new era of load growth in a way that is more resilient, affordable, and clean.