Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)

We are looking forward to welcoming energy regulators, partners, and experts to the Energy Regulatory Exchange 2026 next week in the United Kingdom.   Over three days, participants will come together for practical peer exchange on the realities of regulating through the energy transition, exploring shared challenges, lessons, and emerging approaches across different contexts.

Brazil, like many regions, has compensated distributed energy resources like solar through net metering. What's next after these successful programs? In the recordings of our latest webinars, you can learn more about the nation's regulations that chart the transition to a value-based method of payment, as well as the context and drivers behind the change. We're delighted to offer deep insight and international case studies on this topic in collaboration with Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica - ANEEL and RETA, the Regulatory Energy Transition Accelerator. Access recordings here: https://lnkd.in/ea5-Qn8D While you're there, you might enjoy exploring the broad range of topics offered in other RAP webinars, including the Electrification Academy series!

The latest resource in our series, Data Centers and the Next Era of Energy Regulation, has arrived! Andrew V. argues that constructing data centers off-grid might get them powered faster, but it doesn't solve all of the risks for ratepayers and the grid. #DataCenters #Energy #UtilityRegulation

New Jersey is taking on one of the hardest questions in utility regulation: how do you realign the system to achieve better results at a lower cost? The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities first public stakeholder meeting on its Utility Business Model study put that question in front of commissioners, advocates and stakeholders.   RAP was honored to help host this session. We brought former commissioners Jay Griffin (Hawaii), Sarah Freeman (Indiana), James Van Nostrand (Massachusetts) and Carrie Zalewski (Illinois) for the commissioners round table, alongside RAP experts Mark LeBel, who presented on performance-based regulation, and Josh Ryor, who facilitated.   That practitioner experience is invaluable to commissions as they tackle similar questions.   Thanks to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities team for the invitation and for running a serious, substantive process from day one. We're ready for the conversations ahead, in New Jersey and in every state trying to make utility regulation do better for ratepayers.   #UtilityRegulation #EnergyPolicy #Affordability

📣 Webinar tomorrow: India’s power sector is at a turning point, and the way electricity contracts are structured could be the key to unlocking new solutions. We’re excited to join Power Line Magazine for a webinar on "Transforming India’s Power Market: The Promise of Financially Settled Contracts." India has relied heavily on long-term, physically settled power purchase agreements. As renewable energy scales up and wholesale markets mature, however, financially settled contracts can offer a more flexible, more effective path forward. This powerful tool includes contracts for difference, call options, futures and forwards. Financially settled contracts: ✔️ Stimulate market liquidity ✔️ Send the signal for generators to be available when it matters, supporting reliability ✔️ Lower costs for all discoms – and for consumer bills ✔️ Drive efficient scheduling, helping the integration of variable renewables ✔️ Preserve revenue certainty, which is important for project financing Early signs are promising. Already underway are “Virtual PPAs” for large consumers, new electricity derivatives markets, and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s contract-for-difference pilot with the Solar Energy Corporation of India. The next step is scaling up. This will require robust discussions about regulatory design, contract standards and market structure. Join us as we explore this transition with leading experts: ** Sushanta K Chatterjee, Chief (Regulatory Affairs), Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) ** Amit Kapur, Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors ** Dominic Scott, Senior Associate, Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) Details: 📅 13 May 2026 🕐 16.30 IST / 13.00 CEST / 7.00 EDT 🔗 Register: https://bit.ly/3RkOe6z You can also learn more in our paper, which takes a deep dive into financially settled contracts: https://lnkd.in/eNhNfGN4 #IndiaEnergy  #PowerMarkets  #EnergyTransition  #RenewableEnergy  #EnergyPolicy #ContractsForDifference

RAP's Thomas Butler was recently a guest at the Cleaning Up Podcast as one of the authors for the Electrification Staircase, a tool that breaks down the “Electrify Everything” argument into what can be achieved now, what will be in the near future, and what needs more support to come into being by the middle of the century. 🗣️ "(The Electrification Staircase) is really giving some focus to say look these are great opportunities to improve energy security in industry to decarbonize industry at very little cost." "It's really thinking what's going to give us good value for money" You can check the full video here: https://lnkd.in/eBF_fy-b Michael Liebreich Adrian Hiel Dr Silvia Madeddu William Drake #Electrification #EnergyTransition #CleanEnergy #HeatPumps #ElectricVehicles #IndustrialDecarbonisation #PowerSector

Grateful for today’s opportunity to participate in a roundtable with Sarah Freeman, Carrie Zalewski, and James Van Nostrand at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities stakeholder meeting on utility business model reform. We shared our experiences as former regulators leading similar reforms and understand the pressures on today’s leaders.  Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) Project formed the Council of Commissioners for this exact purpose.  New Jersey is working through tough questions on a short timeline. No surprise that affordability was the top priority in today’s stakeholder poll, along with improving reliability and resilience. The NJ BPU is laying out the path to address these questions, and RAP looks forward to sharing our knowledge and experience with this critical initiative.  We also hope to bring that knowledge to more Commissions soon.

⚡ What if India’s next big power sector advancement were as “simple” as a smarter contract? ⚡ Financially settled contracts, including contracts for difference, call options, forwards and futures, are emerging as a compelling alternative to traditional power purchase agreements. They let generators respond to real-time market prices and help secure the revenue certainty that makes projects financeable. They also offer better incentives, lower system costs and better use of renewables. These tools already exist, and discoms are starting regional pilots that can inform next steps. What’s important now is to establish regulatory clarity, standardized contract structures and a level playing field for renewables when it comes to resource adequacy and resource procurement. We’re delighted to join Power Line Magazine to dig into these questions in an upcoming webinar: 📅 13 May 2026 🕐 16.30 IST / 13.00 CEST / 7.00 EDT 🔗 Register: https://bit.ly/3RkOe6z Whether you work in the Indian energy sector or are interested in learning more about it, we hope you’ll join us. #IndiaEnergy  #PowerMarkets  #EnergyTransition  #RenewableEnergy  #EnergyPolicy #ContractsForDifference

Our webinar on Brazil's transition from net metering to value-based compensation for solar starts in 45 minutes, join us! Details below 👇

Very interesting discussion in the Berlaymont yesterday, during the Implementation Dialogue on Energy Efficiency, hosted by Commissioner Dan Jørgensen. Alongside the CEOs of some of Europe’s largest efficiency and electrification companies, the conversation turned to a question I think about a lot: is the EU's energy efficiency framework actually delivering, and where is delivery getting stuck? From RAP's technical assistance work with Member States, we see the real impact of the new framework. The Efficiency Directive has given real impetus to increase ambition and to target savings to benefit the households on lower incomes or at risk of energy poverty. Now we are staring high fuel prices in the face, these progs targeting energy and cost savings are more important than ever. They are the avenues through which governments can spend support funds most efficiently and effectively. But a lot remains to be done, particularly on how #energyefficiency policy supports affordable #electrification. While energy efficiency can reduce our dependence on the fuels that have become so expensive, electrification is the route to full independence from the extreme price volatility. 3 things stood out, to my mind, that the Commission and Member States can act on now without new legislation.   1)        The "worst building first" approach to prioritising building renovation is enshrined in the EPBD for non–resi buildings but it is equally relevant for homes. These homes most need a package of fabric efficiency coupled with heat electrification. Governments have tools to apply the approach within existing schemes: coupling electrification measures into existing insulation schemes or tasking a one-stop shop/agency/intermediary to actively identify worst-performing homes.  2)        Electrification is efficient, but flexible electrification is super efficient. As AccelerateEU and the expected Electrification Action Plan aim to boost electrification, we need incentives to enable new electrified loads to be operated flexibly – reducing new investments in grid and generation. Efficiency has a role here too. A building that holds heat can keep occupants comfortable for longer when heating schedules are varied. But without signals and support, few electrifying households are enabled to flex their heat. (Link to my own experience of flexing heat in the comments.) 3)         Getting electricity pricing right underpins the whole electrification project. In many cases it is not an overnight fix. But there are shorter term, targeted solutions that build on existing mechanisms. Getting social supports like social tariffs and energy efficiency policy talking to each other is one innovation. Look at the New York pilot (link in comments) that protects low-income households on their electricity bill while they participate in an electrification scheme. The framework is in place. The task now is creative implementation that gets to the households who need it most.