Local Government Voices in Wholesale Market Issues: Engagement Approaches for Decarbonization

The document argues that U.S. cities and counties are underrepresented in wholesale energy markets despite being large energy purchasers with a stake in market structure. It outlines three primary engagement pathways: public statements, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs)/Independent System Operators (ISOs). To overcome barriers such as limited staff capacity and high education needs, the paper suggests collaborative efforts and learning from similar stakeholders, citing a coalition of local governments within the PJM territory as an example.

• Local governments in the U.S. face significant barriers to participating in wholesale energy markets, including a lack of staff capacity, high education requirements, substantial time commitments, and associated costs.
• There are three primary avenues for local governments to influence wholesale energy market issues: through public statements, via the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and through Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) or Independent System Operators (ISOs).
• Local governments within the PJM territory have formed a coalition to collectively engage with their RTO and mitigate the barriers to individual participation.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Local Government Voices in Wholesale Market Issues: Engagement Approaches for Decarbonization. https://www.wri.org/research/local-government-voices-wholesale-market-issues-engagement-approaches-decarbonization

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Local Government Voices in Wholesale Market Issues: Engagement Approaches for Decarbonization. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/local-government-voices-wholesale-market-issues-engagement-approaches-decarbonization.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Local Government Voices in Wholesale Market Issues: Engagement Approaches for Decarbonization |url=https://www.wri.org/research/local-government-voices-wholesale-market-issues-engagement-approaches-decarbonization |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendlocal, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Local Government Voices in Wholesale Market Issues: Engagement Approaches for Decarbonization}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/local-government-voices-wholesale-market-issues-engagement-approaches-decarbonization}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }