Our Work
PowerLines is pushing for a utility regulatory system that can better serve American consumers and communities by lowering utility bills and growing the economy. PowerLines will serve as a hub by bringing together diverse stakeholders to share ideas, resources, and solutions to modernize our utility regulatory system.
The Problem
Most people have never heard of their state’s public utilities commissioners.
Public utilities commissioners set the rules that impact your energy bills and quality of service. They need to hear from people and communities about the issues they face.
Most states have an outdated utility regulatory system that is not prepared to tackle modern energy challenges.
The policies and regulations that helped create the energy system and grid we have today were designed for an earlier century.
The public rarely engages in public utilities commission proceedings.
Overly complex and technical processes make it hard for the public to engage in processes where their input is critically needed.
Our Approach
State public utilities commissions (PUCs) have a crucial role to play in protecting consumers, ensuring affordable and reliable energy, and promoting economic development.
PowerLines focuses on three key aspects of modernizing the utility regulatory system: people, policy, and process.
People
Each state has a PUC with 3 to 7 commissioners who oversee the utilities. In most states, commissioners are appointed by their governor, while some states elect their commissioners. PowerLines will ensure that commissioners advance the public interest in their decisions.
Policy
State legislatures define the authority their PUCs have to regulate utilities. These definitions are outdated, as are the rules around how utilities plan investments. PowerLines will work to advance smarter planning, better incentives, and stronger consumer protection in these efforts.
Process
Public input in PUC proceedings is critical to ensure the public interest is advanced in PUC decisions. But PUC processes can be hard to navigate without lawyers and experts to help out. PowerLines will support community groups and other stakeholders in making their voices heard across PUCs.
State Public Utilities Commissions
Find out how your state’s public utilities commission (PUC) is structured and who serves on it.
Stay tuned for updates to this interactive dashboard as we incorporate additional features.
Utility Bills Are Rising
A majority of consumers in the United States are concerned about increasing utility bills, as residential electricity costs have risen by almost 30% since 2021 and residential gas costs have increased by 40% since 2019, significantly outpacing inflation. Today, nearly 80 million Americans are struggling to pay their utility bills, forgoing basic expenses like food, education, and health care to keep their lights on.
In an era of unprecedented growth in electricity demand not seen at this scale in decades, ensuring that consumer perspectives are central to utility regulatory decision making—both in process and outcome—is key to restoring a system that serves the public interest and maintains the trust of consumers.
Support Our Work
Your financial support is instrumental in helping PowerLines modernize utility regulation.
Consider supporting PowerLines today.
Looking to work for a PUC?
Our job board has you covered.
PowerLines is working to build a talent pipeline of professionals to work for state public utilities commissions (PUCs). Our job board is dynamically updated to reflect the latest open PUC job postings. Interested in making a difference? There’s no better way than working for a PUC.
