Five Tips for Utility Regulators: Staying on Course through the COVID-19 Storm

The guide advises utility regulators to avoid postponing key climate and energy proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic by adopting virtual engagement tools and prioritizing high-impact projects. It emphasizes that maintaining momentum on emissions reductions and utility business model reforms is critical to limiting global warming to 1.5°C and stimulating economic recovery through the clean energy sector.

• Utility regulators should avoid indefinitely postponing workshops and hearings, as delays in reducing emissions and reforming business models could have lasting consequences, especially given the urgency of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
• The adoption of video-conferencing for regulatory events can increase accessibility and inclusivity by removing financial and logistical barriers such as travel, lodging, and meal costs that often limit participation for groups with fewer resources.
• Regulators should prioritize proceedings that are essential for meeting emissions-reduction targets—specifically those involving coal-asset retirement, resource planning, and beneficial electrification—as well as projects that stimulate economic recovery in the clean energy and energy efficiency sectors.
• The pandemic's impact on electricity sales may necessitate the adoption of new regulatory tools, such as revenue decoupling and performance-based regulation, to handle future disruptions and expedite cost recovery.

APA

RMI (2020). Five Tips for Utility Regulators: Staying on Course through the COVID-19 Storm. https://rmi.org/resources/five-tips-for-regulators-staying-on-course-through-the-covid-19-storm/

Chicago

RMI. Five Tips for Utility Regulators: Staying on Course through the COVID-19 Storm. 2020. https://rmi.org/resources/five-tips-for-regulators-staying-on-course-through-the-covid-19-storm/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Five Tips for Utility Regulators: Staying on Course through the COVID-19 Storm |date=20 May 2020 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/five-tips-for-regulators-staying-on-course-through-the-covid-19-storm/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2020five, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Five Tips for Utility Regulators: Staying on Course through the COVID-19 Storm}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/five-tips-for-regulators-staying-on-course-through-the-covid-19-storm/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }