Where your power comes from: Electric Utilities 101
This report briefly summarizes the types of electric utilities and energy markets in the United States and examines some of the policy reforms that are open to local communities for each utility type and energy market. The report also outlines two additional alternative utility structures, Community Choice Aggregation and the Sustainable Energy Utility, and details how communities can form their own, if it aligns with their policy goals. Understanding electric utilities and who controls them is increasingly important as energy affordability and access to renewable energy sources becomes a top policy priority for many communities. The goal of this report is to serve as an introduction to electric utilities for local communities in order to better inform them about the policy options that are available. We also aim to show various ways for communities to achieve public control of their power grid.
