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Research Highlights
Assessing U.S. Electric Grid Operators' Governance: Transparency, Accessibility, Accountability
May 2025
On behalf of Slingshot (and their participation in the broader, grassroots Fix the Grid campaign in New England), this AEC report card utilized approximately 250 sources—including grid operator documents, research reports, and expert testimony—to develop and assign points across 34 metrics among three categories: 1) transparency is making information and materials publicly available; 2) accessibility is facilitating public awareness and involvement in grid operator processes; and 3) accountability is structuring governance and decision-making processes to incorporate viewpoints reflective of the diversity of the communities in each grid operator's territory.
The primary finding of the report card is that none of the seven U.S. grid operators perform particularly well in any assessment category and there is considerable room for improvement across grid operators in terms of transparency, accessibility, and accountability. The highest overall grade was a C+ earned by CAISO due to its strong performance in the accountability category. The lowest overall grade was an F earned by ISO-NE due to its receiving a failing grade in the accessibility and accountability categories. The five remaining grid operators (PJM, MISO, SPP, ERCOT and NYISO) each received an overall grade ranging from C- to D-.
Clean Energy Expansion: Recommendations for Georgia Power
May 2025
Senior Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD, Researcher Jordan Burt, PhD, and Assistant Researcher Elisabeth Seliga prepared a report that reviews the Georgia clean energy policy landscape, assesses Georgia Power’s existing fossil fuel-fired power plants and reviews Georgia Power clean energy program offerings. AEC identifies several sites of Georgia Power-owned retired and operating fossil-fuel energy infrastructure and recommends that Georgia Power consider replacing these sites with clean energy sources such as a solar plus storage facility. In addition, AEC recommends the Company re-assess retirement plans for fossil fuel plants with higher environmental costs that are expected to operate past 2025. Lastly, AEC provides recommendations to expand Georgia Power’s clean energy program offerings and increase customer participation in its existing programs.
Identifying Priority Areas for Clean Energy Expansion and Emissions Reduction Opportunities
April 2025
Senior Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD, Assistant Researcher Elisabeth Seliga, and Principal Economist Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, prepared a white paper that provides energy, economic, environmental, and equity criteria that can be used by states, regional organizations, or other entities to identify priority areas for clean energy expansion and emissions reduction efforts within a particular jurisdiction. In addition to providing a pathway for identifying efficient and equitable locations for clean energy expansion efforts, these criteria may be helpful for prioritizing efforts to secure funding to support clean energy projects.
AEC Areas of Expertise
All-sector energy planning
Benefit-cost analysis
Capacity expansion modeling
Dispatch modeling
Economic impact analysis (including REMI and IMPLAN)
Economics of energy resources
Electricity system planning (including integrated resource plans)
Emissions accounting
Energy and capacity markets
Energy efficiency planning
Energy policy analysis
Energy-water nexus
Environmental regulations
Equity and consumer impact analysis
Pipeline economic analysis
Renewable energy
Utility cost of capital
Utility finance analysis
Valuation of externalities
AEC Services
Analysis
We provide in-depth analysis of the economics, environmental, and equity impacts of all types of energy resources and policies. Read more →
Modeling
Clinic staff regularly analyze a number of third-party power sector model inputs and outputs used to conduct resource planning analyses, forecast electricity market prices, predict emissions output, and evaluate the need for future electric and natural gas capacity. . Read more →
Testimony
We provide expert testimony in state and federal regulatory proceedings on a variety of issues. Read more →
Public Reports
We provide public-facing reports for our clients, including economic assessments of existing energy resources and economic and emission impacts of environmental regulations. Read more →
Contact | Address: Applied Economics Clinic, 6 Liberty Sq., PMB 98162, Boston, MA, 02109 | Email: info@aeclinic.org