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This RMI report provides recommendations for modernizing the regulatory processes of state public utilities commissions (PUCs) in the United States to accelerate the transition to a decarbonized and equitable electric grid. It identifies four primary areas for reform: setting clear proceeding objectives, expanding stakeholder roles in solution development, reducing information asymmetry through data transparency, and initiating new inclusive processes such as regulatory sandboxes and updated benefit-cost analysis frameworks.

This report by RMI examines regulatory reform efforts across 10 US states, emphasizing that the design of the process used to implement utility business model updates is as critical to success as the technical and economic details of the reforms themselves.

This report, an excerpt from a paper presented at the Banff Dialogue in April 2010, reviews 57 reports from Canadian think tanks to identify common recommendations and research gaps regarding a national clean energy strategy. It highlights a fundamental tension between a 'climate view'—which prioritizes top-down carbon pricing to drive energy choices—and an 'energy view'—which emphasizes market-driven supply and investment certainty.