Briefing Book
Utility Briefing Book
July 30, 2025
Issue Area
Utilities and the Grid
Overview
Utility policy is fundamental to addressing climate change and energy affordability, with today’s policies shaping costs and emissions for decades to come. Currently, outdated utility regulations are keeping fossil fuels online and energy costs high. State legislatures implement the regulatory and policy frameworks under which state utility commissions operate, giving legislators significant power in shaping how utilities operate. Lawmakers are increasingly addressing these issues by (1) updating laws governing how utilities are regulated, (2) improving utility oversight, (3) directing and reforming utility commissions, and (4) reshaping ratemaking processes to support affordability and clean energy.
Key Facts
There are three main types of utility ownership models: Investor-Owned Utilities, Publicly-Owned or Municipal Utilities, and Rural Electric Co-Ops.
U.S. electricity generation reached a record 4.43 trillion kWh in 2025 – roughly five times what the country produced in 1950. This marks a clear break from the relatively flat demand seen between the mid-2000s and early 2020s.
Estimates suggest electric utilities collected $244 billion in profits from household bills between 2021 and 2025 – about 13% of total consumer electricity spending over that period.
Jump to:
Viewing All
Bills
Filter
Close
Select a State
Legislator Spotlights
The day I spent with NCEL at the [2023 pre-forum] event changed my level of understanding of transmission from zero to being ready to introduce legislation on this topic. I can't stress enough the level of expertise that NCEL has and how good they are at what they do.
Mark Gamba, State Representative, Oregon
“The original idea for that bill came out of some of the convenings that NCEL has done. We got to go down to Santa Fe and meet with a bunch of folks from across the region who worked on transmission last year, and Grid Enhancing Technologies were something that I’ve seen out there and heard of but they’ve really come to the forefront in the last few months through groups like NCEL.”
Nate Blouin, State Senator, Utah
