energy Affordability POLICY LIBRARY

The Just Solutions Energy Affordability Policy Library includes model policy and regulatory strategies to reduce household electricity and gas costs.  Browse through policy descriptions below, or filter by Affordability Strategy (such as residential building decarbonization), by Region, by Keyword, by Policy Mechanism, or by additional Community Benefits (such as “resilience”).

For help navigating the library, see: Guide for Using the Library

For help getting started, see: Developing Affordability Policies for Your State

WORK WITH US

Contact our team if you’d like a deep dive into one of the featured policies, or to discuss policy strategies for your state.

CONTACT US

Have an affordability policy idea we should add? Any other suggestions, questions, or comments? Fill out our library submissions form.

SUBMISSIONS

Policies & Regulations

Description
Funding and Financing, Residential DecarbonizationInclusive Utility Investments (Including Pay-As-You-Save®)LEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, DecarbonizationClean energy, Decarbonization, Distributed energy, Electricity, Efficiency, Financing, Methane gas, Utility billsInclusive utility investments provide support for cost-effective energy-saving measures through an energy service charge attached to the site, rather than a loan to the resident.State
Residential DecarbonizationPlug-In (Balcony) SolarEXECUTIVE, LEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, DecarbonizationClean energy, Decarbonization, Distributed energy, Electricity, RentersBalcony or plug-in solar panels provide low-cost, easy-to-install, renter-friendly access to clean energy.State
Household ProtectionsPercentage-of-Income Payment PlansEXECUTIVE, LEGISLATION , REGULATION AffordabilityAssistance, Electricity, Methane gas, Utility billsPercentage-of-Income Payment Plans improve energy affordability by capping utility bills at a percentage of household income. State
Household ProtectionsUtility Shutoff ProtectionsEXECUTIVE, LEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, Resilience, Public health, SafetyDisaster preparedness, Shutoffs, Utility billsBans on utility shutoffs (disconnections) protect household health and safety, particularly for low- and moderate-income households and other at-risk individuals.State, Local
Residential DecarbonizationResidential Solar (+Storage) ProgramsLEGISLATION Affordability, Resilience, Workforce, Decarbonization, Energy reliabilityClean energy, Decarbonization, Disaster preparedness, Distributed energy, Electricity, Renters, ResilienceResidential solar+storage programs can facilitate the equitable and affordable adoption of these technologies, lower energy costs, and increase climate resilience.Federal, State, Local
Utility Reform: Cost ContainmentProtecting Ratepayers from Utility Political SpendingLEGISLATION , REGULATION AffordabilityUtility ratesProhibitions on using ratepayer funds for utility lobbying and political spending can lower utility bills.State
Household ProtectionsArrearage Management Programs and Debt ForgivenessEXECUTIVE, LEGISLATION , REGULATION AffordabilityAssistance, Utility billsArrearage management programs and debt forgiveness can be important tools to assist households struggling to pay rising energy costs.State
Residential DecarbonizationElectrification ReadinessLEGISLATION Affordability, Workforce, DecarbonizationClean energy, Decarbonization, Electricity, Electrification, HousingElectrification readiness programs can facilitate fuel switching by increasing eligibility for electrification programs, thereby reducing cost barriers on needed upgrades.Federal, State, Local
Residential DecarbonizationEfficient Residential ElectrificationLEGISLATION Affordability, Public health, Workforce, DecarbonizationClean energy, Decarbonization, Distributed energy, Electricity, Electrification, Efficiency, Housing, Utility ratesPrograms supporting efficient electrification upgrades can facilitate the equitable and affordable adoption of energy-efficient home electrification, reducing greenhouse gases and in-home emissions of health-damaging air pollutants.Federal, State, Local
Residential Decarbonization, Utility Reform: Energy TransitionCommunity SolarLEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, DecarbonizationClean energy, Decarbonization, Distributed energy, Electricity, RentersEquitable community solar projects enable households who would not otherwise benefit from solar energy to participate in the clean energy transition.Local, State
Household ProtectionsLow-Income RatesLEGISLATION , REGULATION AffordabilityUtility bills, Utility ratesDiscounted rates for low-income households can help bring down utility bills.State
Residential DecarbonizationPre-Weatherization ProgramsLEGISLATION Affordability, Resilience, Housing, Workforce, Decarbonization, SafetyDisaster preparedness, Efficiency, HousingAccessible, affordable pre-weatherization assistance programs can increase the number of homes meeting the criteria for weatherization, advance equitable access to weatherization, reduce energy cost burdens, and improve resident health and well-being.Federal, State, Local
Residential DecarbonizationDemand Response ProgramsLEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, Energy reliabilityDistributed energy, ElectricityDemand response programs compensate households for reducing energy use during peak periods while supporting grid reliability.State, Local
Utility Reform: Cost ContainmentLimit Utility Investor Return on EquityLEGISLATION , REGULATION AffordabilityUtility ratesRestricting excessive authorized utility profits, including the rate of return on equity, helps bring down the overall costs of the electricity system.State
Residential Decarbonization, Utility Reform: Energy TransitionDistribution System Interconnection ReformLEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, Resilience, Decarbonization, Energy reliabilityDistributed energy, Electricity, Grid InfrastructureRegulatory reforms to expedite and equitably prioritize interconnection of distributed energy resources can contribute to affordability, clean energy inclusion, and grid decarbonization. State
Residential DecarbonizationRental Efficiency StandardsLEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, Resilience, Housing, Workforce, Decarbonization, SafetyClean energy, Efficiency, Housing, RentersRental efficiency standards ensure that renters are not saddled with high bills due to inefficient appliances and unweatherized units.Local, State
Residential DecarbonizationAppliance Efficiency StandardsLEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, DecarbonizationDecarbonization, EfficiencyState action to develop and/or expand, enforce, and provide consumer education about appliance energy efficiency standards can provide additional energy cost savings to consumers and establishes an infrastructure for future state action.Federal, State
Residential DecarbonizationResidential Building CodesLEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, Resilience, Housing, Public health, Workforce, SafetyDecarbonization, Electrification, Efficiency, HousingBuilding codes for residential construction and stronger energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing can enhance energy efficiency, reduce residential utility bills, and increase health and comfort.Federal, State, Local
Funding and FinancingPolluter Pays StrategiesLEGISLATION , LITIGATION Affordability, Resilience, Public health, Environment, DecarbonizationAir quality, Decarbonization, Fossil fuels, Funding, Remediation, ResiliencePolluter Pays strategies present one pathway for financing climate change planning, preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery without raising taxes or relying on other regressive solutions.State, Local
Household ProtectionsBill CreditsEXECUTIVE, LEGISLATION , REGULATION AffordabilityAssistance, Utility billsUtility bill credits from programs such as cap-and-invest can provide non-ratepayer funding for additional bill assistance.State
Household Protections

Utility Bill Assistance

LEGISLATION , REGULATION AffordabilityAssistance, Utility billsUtility bill assistance programs can reduce energy insecurity for millions of people, thereby improving health and welfare outcomes.Federal, State, Local
Utility Reform: Cost ContainmentCost Containment for Data Centers and Other Major LoadsLEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, DecarbonizationData centers, Utility ratesLegislation and regulatory oversight can ensure that the energy demands of data centers and other major loads do not result in cost shifting to other commercial and residential ratepayers.Federal, State, Regional
Utility Reform: AccountabilityEnergy Affordability Drivers and Impacts StudyEXECUTIVE, LEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, TransparencyUtility bills, Utility ratesA baseline study on drivers of high energy costs and the populations most affected by energy cost burdens can help guide energy affordability policy strategy. Regional, State
Utility Reform: Cost Containment, Utility Reform: Energy TransitionTransmission Planning and Interconnection Queue ReformLEGISLATION , REGULATION , EXECUTIVE, LITIGATION Affordability, DecarbonizationClean energy, Electricity, Grid InfrastructureImproved transmission planning and interconnection queue reform can help accelerate the interconnection of low-cost renewables and energy storage, lower high capacity prices, and bring down system costs.Federal, State, Regional
Funding and FinancingState and Local Taxes for Clean Energy and Climate Resilience FundingBALLOT, LEGISLATION Affordability, Resilience, DecarbonizationClean energy, Decarbonization, FundingTargeted state or local taxes provide a non-rate funding source for clean energy investments, building decarbonization, and climate resilience. State, Local
Funding and FinancingGreen BanksLEGISLATION , EXECUTIVEAffordability, DecarbonizationClean energy, Financing, DecarbonizationGreen banks can provide the capital for financing renewable energy investments and building decarbonization projects. State
Household ProtectionsProgressive Income-Based Fixed ChargeREGULATION , LEGISLATION AffordabilityUtility bills, Utility ratesProgressive income-based fixed charges reduce the fixed charges on utility bills for lower-income customers. State
Residential DecarbonizationWeatherizationEXECUTIVE, LEGISLATION Affordability, Resilience, Housing, Public health, Workforce, Decarbonization, SafetyWeatherization programs can reduce energy cost burdens, facilitate the transition to clean and efficient energy, reduce peak demand on the electric grid, and improve the health and safety of residents.Federal, State, Local
Household Protections, Utility Reform: AccountabilityOutage CompensationLEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, Empowerment, Energy reliabilityUtility billsRequiring utilities to provide compensation to their customers for prolonged and/or frequent outages can reduce the financial effects of outages on customers, especially energy-burdened households.State
Utility Reform: AccountabilityUtility Billing TransparencyLEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, Empowerment, TransparencyUtility billsStandardized, transparent utility billing gives households access to the individual components of their utility bills, empowering them to both make smart home energy decisions and to hold utilities accountable.State
Funding and FinancingCap and Invest LEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, DecarbonizationDecarbonization, Funding, ResilienceStates can develop impactful and equitable regulatory programs that utilize market mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while generating revenue for necessary climate and clean energy investments. State, Regional
Utility Reform: Energy Transition, Utility Reform: Cost ContainmentLimiting Gas Infrastructure Investments LEGISLATION , REGULATION Affordability, Public health, Decarbonization, SafetyDecarbonization, Methane gasLimiting utility investments in gas infrastructure can protect ratepayers from volatile fossil fuel costs, unnecessary upgrades, and future stranded assets.Local, State
Residential Decarbonization, Utility Reform: Energy TransitionRealizing the Full Value of Distributed Energy ResourcesREGULATION , LEGISLATION , EXECUTIVEAffordability, Decarbonization, Energy reliability, Environment, Public health, ResilienceClean energy, Distributed energy, ResilienceFully valuing and compensating distributed energy resources such as solar and storage can optimize their cost-effective integration into the grid.State
Funding and Financing, Residential DecarbonizationState-Level Progressive Residential Energy CreditsLEGISLATION Affordability, DecarbonizationEfficiency, Tax policy, Distributed energy, Clean energyProgressively designed state-level residential energy tax credits can fill a crucial gap in clean energy affordability and equity.State
Utility Reform: AccountabilityPerformance-Based Regulation of Electric UtilitiesLEGISLATION , REGULATION , EXECUTIVEAffordability, Transparency, Resilience, Public health, Environment, Decarbonization, Energy reliabilityClean energy, Decarbonization, Distributed energy, Efficiency, Electricity, Resilience, Shutoffs, Utility bills, Utility ratesPerformance-based regulation and performance incentive mechanisms help align utility planning and costs with customer needs and broader systemic and societal goals such as affordability, efficiency, greenhouse gas reductions, and energy resilience.State

Authors

  • Elena Krieger, PhD, Senior Director of Research and Policy
  • Jennifer Moon, PhD, Senior Researcher
  • Lew Daly, Senior Fellow
  • Arjun Makhijani, PhD, Senior Fellow
  • Sylvia Chi, Legal and Advocacy Director

acknowledgments

The development of this policy library benefitted from many valuable conversations, thoughtful brainstorms, and review from state partners, our national partners in ClimateMax, and energy experts across the country, including Adenike Adeyeye, Lima Hossain, Shilpa Joshi, Victoria Kaplan, Sonum Nerurkar, Kelly Sheehan, Jamie Pang, David Pomerantz, Wesley Schrock, Jen Somers, Max Toth, Eli Vargas, Meg Waltner, and many others. The Just Solutions team is grateful for their input regarding the strengths and weaknesses of different policies and regulations, suggestions for policy examples, and feedback on the library design as a whole, and the library would not have been possible without their support.

About Just Solutions

Just Solutions is a national climate organization that partners with communities disproportionately impacted by climate change to turn their priorities and ideas into policies and laws. Our goal is to broaden and deepen the understanding and implementation of equitable and effective climate policies and programs at a scale and pace that match the urgency of the climate crisis.  Learn more at our website, justsolutionscollective.org.

Tell us about yourself