A joint task force involving NARUC (National Association of Regulatory Utility commissioners) and NASEO (National Association of Energy Service Companies) set out two years ago to examine how electricity system planning processes can achieve greater alignment “after being siloed for decades.” The result report, from February 2021 summarizes the work and offers practical ways to accelerate state actions in aligning electricity system planning approaches, building upon the experience of the 15 Task Force member states. The recommendations were driven by a desire to: improve grid reliability and resilience; optimize use of new and existing resources; avoid unnecessary costs to ratepapers; support state policy priorities; and increase the transparency of grid-related investment decisions.
Key words: Energy Management, Market Sizing, Research & Development, Smart Grid, Utilities, Energy Policy