Electric Utility Toolkit

The Electric Utility Toolkit explains the technical and regulatory framework of the US power grid, highlighting systemic inequalities in energy access and affordability. It details the role of Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) and provides actionable steps for citizens to engage in the regulatory process to promote energy justice and decarbonization.

• The US energy system has disproportionately negative impacts on Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and low-income communities, manifesting as high energy burdens, energy insecurity, and inequitable access to clean energy benefits.
• Energy burden—the percentage of income spent on home energy bills—is significantly higher for marginalized groups, averaging 8 percent, which is nearly three times the rate of non-low-income households.
• Historical discriminatory policies, specifically redlining, correlate with the siting of fossil fuel power plants in Black neighborhoods, leading to higher exposure to air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide.
• Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) lack representative governance, with 82 percent of commissioners being white and 65 percent male, often including individuals with previous ties to the fossil fuel industry.
• The US electricity grid is divided into three major transmission networks: the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection, and the Texas Interconnection.
• Most state PUCs currently lack the legal authority to consider climate change when making decisions on Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs), though states like Michigan and Minnesota have passed legislation to address this.
• Power outage durations in the United States increased significantly between 2013 and 2021, with the average duration doubling from approximately 3.5 hours to over seven hours.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2024). Electric Utility Toolkit. https://www.ucs.org/resources/electric-utility-toolkit

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Electric Utility Toolkit. 2024. https://www.ucs.org/resources/electric-utility-toolkit.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Electric Utility Toolkit |date=30 May 2024 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/electric-utility-toolkit |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2024electric, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Electric Utility Toolkit}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/electric-utility-toolkit}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }