|
Welcome
The Regulatory Partnership Program is designed as a vehicle for the exchange of experience and information between U.S. and international regulatory bodies with the goal of improving regulatory practices and fostering long-term sustainable relationships between regulatory entities. The purpose of these partnerships is to create a collaborative framework and two-way learning experiences through which a specific U.S. Commission works with an individual energy regulatory authority in developing its institutional capacity, practices and regulations in market-based regulation.
The partners collaborate to develop a work plan outlining the course of the Partnership, addressing the needs of the international regulator and interests of the U.S. Public Utility Commission, such as market and industry restructuring, competition, tariff methodology and rate design, third-party access, energy efficiency, renewable energy, dispute resolution, cross-border trade, public hearings, service quality, customer and stakeholder relations, and commission administration/management. Other possible activities include site visits to U.S. federal regulatory agencies, utilities, and state legislative bodies as well as short-term internships at U.S. commissions which greatly enhance the long-term sustainability of the regulatory relationships and immerse a trainee in the commission’s daily activities.
The Partnerships are designed to begin as broad introductions, becoming more complex and issue-specific. The regulators correspond and exchange documents via email between activities to prepare for the next round of discussions and to identify issues, which arise in the interim.
The regulatory partnerships have led to a number of positive results and accomplishments including initiation of public hearings on price and quality of supply issues and implementation of more streamlined decision-making processes, implementing tariff methodologies for the restructured markets, and improving relations with customers and other stakeholders.
In all, the partnerships allow broad access to US regulatory practices and offer both partners the chance to learn new techniques and methodologies as well as gain an understanding of the international regulatory environment.
|
