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  • Research Report
  • Utilities and the Power Sector
  • Nov 20, 2012

    A Decade of Decoupling for US Energy Utilities: Rate Impacts, Designs, and Observations

    Building on a 2009 report, A Decade of Decoupling for US Energy Utilities summarizes the decoupling mechanisms utilities use and the rate adjustments they have made under those mechanisms. In total…

    Building on a 2009 report, A Decade of Decoupling for US Energy Utilities summarizes the decoupling mechanisms utilities use and the rate adjustments they have made under those mechanisms. In total, the report estimates the retail rate impacts of 1244 decoupling mechanism adjustments since 2005. These rate adjustments, the report finds, are mostly small (within +/- 2% of retail rates) and yield both refunds and surcharges. In addition, the report updates the summary of the features various states and utilities have used in constructing their decoupling mechanisms.

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    Bridging the Equity Gap for Utility Energy Efficiency Programs
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  • Bridging the Equity Gap for Utility Energy Efficiency Programs

    Note: This report was updated on July 31, 2026, to reflect data from Commonwealth Edison received after publication that showed additional spending on low-income efficiency programs. Resultant updates to the analysis yielded an increase in the overall average spending (of all utilities in the sample) on low-income programs in 2024. This increased the average share of budgets dedicated to programming for low-income populations to 14.1% and reduced the average “equity gap” to 13.8%; each change was less than 1 percentage point. ComEd-specific results were updated throughout. Additionally, the per-household savings data for Baltimore Gas and Electric was corrected, and that resulted in BGE no longer being listed in the top quartile of utilities in that category.

    Jul 31, 2026

    Strategies for Enhancing Resilience and Minimizing Vulnerabilities to Extreme Heat Events
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  • Behavior and Health
  • Energy Efficiency Policy
  • Homes and Buildings
  • Utilities and the Power Sector
  • Strategies for Enhancing Resilience and Minimizing Vulnerabilities to Extreme Heat Events

    Extreme heat is one of the fastest-growing climate-related hazards in the United States, increasing mortality, straining buildings and energy systems, and amplifying risks for households with limit…

    Apr 16, 2026

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