Introduction to Policy Solutions

Whether you are a legislator, business leader, community leader, regulator, utility, or consumer, we all have a stake in making the electricity grid smarter. But the plain fact is that the electricity business is terrifically complex, and governed by a variety of laws and regulations.

By its nature, the electricity sector is an extraordinarily capital- and technology-intensive, politically constrained enterprise where even the best-intended proposition can get picked apart. As a result, relatively little progress has been made in the absence of coherent leadership, despite the risks posed by an inefficient, insecure, and unreliable grid.

Still, some forward-thinking, progressive states have been pushing for change, having identified key areas where policy and regulatory changes must be enacted. These key areas are identified via the navigation system to the left.

Here, you will find resources that can introduce you to the key protocols for comprehensive electricity reform.

Suggested reading on the Galvin Electricity Initiative's policy priorities:

• Power to the People: Electricity Consumer Principles
  This fact sheet is a foundational document for the Initiative, reflecting our belief that reforms to the electricity sector should focus on empowering consumers.
• The Policy Framework for a Consumer-Driven Electric Power System
  This fact sheet outlines examples of regulatory policies that form the building blocks of a consumer-driven electric power system.
• An Electric Revolution: Reforming Monopolies, Reinventing the Grid and Giving Power to the People
  • Chapter Six: A Primer on Reform
    This chapter of An Electric Revolution examines the policy reforms needed to bring about a consumer-centric electricity system.
• Smart Grid Issues in State Law and Regulation
  This extensive white paper, authored by Ashley Brown, Esq. of the Harvard Electricity Policy Group at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and Raya Salter, Esq., provides an overview of certain smart grid issues in federal law and state regulation.

For further reading:

• Improving the Grid: Why Consumers Should Care
• A Resolution Endorsing Guiding Principles for a Consumer, Value-Driven Electricity System in Illinois