A Guide To Clean Energy Policies And Players

This guide explains the role of electric utilities and Public Utilities Commissions in US energy policy, while detailing specific mechanisms like distributed generation, community solar, net metering, and decoupling that facilitate the transition to renewable energy.

• Electric utilities in the US typically operate as monopolies controlling generation, transmission, and sales, and they often use their political and financial influence to oppose renewable energy growth to protect their profits.
• Public Utilities Commissions (PUCs) are state-level bodies that regulate utilities and other services, developing the rules and rulings that implement energy laws and determine electricity rates and investments.
• Distributed generation involves small-scale electricity production at or near the point of use, such as rooftop solar, which enhances energy security and reduces the need for expensive transmission lines, though it is often targeted by utilities because it reduces their control of the grid.
• Community solar allows multiple customers to share a single solar installation, providing access to solar power for those who rent or have unsuitable roofs; as of September 2017, 26 US states had 101 such projects producing over 108 megawatts.
• Net metering, which allows customers to be billed for the net amount of electricity consumed minus what they generate, is credited with fueling rooftop solar growth by as much as 900% since 2011, despite utility efforts to limit the policy.
• Decoupling is a regulatory tool that separates a utility's revenue from its volume of electricity sales, removing the financial disincentive for utilities to support energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption.

APA

Wang, C. (2017). A Guide To Clean Energy Policies And Players. Earthjustice. https://earthjustice.org/feature/clean-energy-guide

Chicago

Wang, Claire. A Guide To Clean Energy Policies And Players. Earthjustice, 2017. https://earthjustice.org/feature/clean-energy-guide.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wang |first1=Claire |title=A Guide To Clean Energy Policies And Players |publisher=Earthjustice |date=3 October 2017 |url=https://earthjustice.org/feature/clean-energy-guide |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wang2017guide, author = {Wang, Claire}, title = {{A Guide To Clean Energy Policies And Players}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://earthjustice.org/feature/clean-energy-guide}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }