Reg Lab
A community to catalyze energy solutions.
RMI's Regulatory Collaborative ('Reg Lab') is a cohort-style initiative that builds regulatory staff capacity and develops cutting-edge solutions to today’s pressing issues. RMI is convening a peer network of Public Utility Commission (PUC) staff to test ideas, advance thought leadership, and tackle emerging issues.
Peer-to-Peer
Practical Support
Best Practices
Be a Part of Reg Lab's Second Cohort: Near-Term Responses to Potential Load Growth
This year’s Cohort will surface and explore key drivers of load growth in each jurisdiction. Staff will evaluate the potential growth and co-create tools to mitigate and distribute associated costs and risks.
The Cohort will:
- Strengthen understanding of the main drivers of load growth relevant to each jurisdiction, the associated risks and opportunities that emerge for key stakeholders, and how to pressure-test load growth forecasts.
- Identify and codevelop a suite of demand-side, supply-side, grid, and business model solutions to respond to and address load growth in the near term while maintaining affordable and reliable service.
RMI will provide technical support to participants on their state-specific context in addition to Cohort sessions, which may include written case studies, facilitated discussions, or one-on-one support.
To express interest in Reg Lab Cohort 2, please fill out this form or email Katerina Stephan (Kstephan@rmi.org).
The Collaborative is free.
About six months, meeting every three to four weeks.
The meetings will be virtual.
Once you participate in a cohort, you’ll be a part of the alumni network with access to in-person networking, insights on emerging energy topics, and Collaborative tools and resources.
We’re inviting one staff member per commission. However, we do understand that staff may not be able to attend all sessions or may work with a small team on a specific topic. In those cases, we welcome additional attendees.
This schedule is subject to change based on conversations with our partners and cohort participants.
Setting the Stage
Load Forecasting amid Uncertainty
Slowing and Shaping Load Growth
Building New Supply, Faster
Expanding the Suite of Options
How Do We Pay for it? Balancing Cost and Risk
Symposium
Cohort 1: The IRA and Resource Planning (NEW Toolkit Now Available)
In 2023, staff from 13 states where utilities conduct integrated resource planning came together to explore the cutting edge of planning and federal funding. Over the course of this first cohort, staff learned directly from 17 expert faculty, developed rich questions to evaluate if and how plans incorporate the benefits of available funding, and shared challenges and emerging best practices across their jurisdictions.
RMI is thrilled to share the resulting toolkit: Planning to Harness the Inflation Reduction Act. This toolkit, informed by the discussions in Cohort 1, captures action-oriented insights and recommendations for ensuring that resource plans optimize federal funding to benefit ratepayers. It includes:
- Clear benchmarks and examples of how to adjust IRPs to optimize available federal funding.
- Detailed actions regulators can take to enable utilities to plan in a manner that maximizes the savings for ratepayers from federal funding.
- Specific questions PUCs and stakeholders can ask to better understand the utility’s approach to optimizing the IRA’s opportunities.
This toolkit is intended to support regulators in all states with resource planning practices. This toolkit is intended to support regulators in all states with resource planning practices. You can access the toolkit here.
And this is only the beginning. Once you join Reg Lab, the benefits keep building.
Growing a Thriving Alumni Network
The increasingly complex work of regulators won’t be slowing down in the coming years — and neither will Reg Lab.
Our alumni network has access to the collected resources of each cohort topic area, ongoing guidance and technical support, and a trusted space to work through the implications of their work. You’ll find a wealth of knowledge that you can contribute to and pass on, for regulatory cohorts to come.
Growing a Thriving Alumni Network
And this is only the beginning. Once you join Reg Lab, the benefits keep building.
The increasingly complex work of regulators won’t be slowing down in the coming years — and neither will Reg Lab.
Our alumni network has access to the collected resources of each cohort topic area, ongoing guidance and technical support, and a trusted space to work through the implications of their work. You’ll find a wealth of knowledge that you can contribute to and pass on, for regulatory cohorts to come.
