By: Elizabeth Turnbull
We’ve detailed many of the specific dockets and activities in our monthly State Activities Reports, but here are the broader policy and regulatory themes that we saw in the final quarter of 2025.
Electricity is the New Price of Eggs
Unsurprisingly, the theme of utility affordability continues to dominate elections, appointments, policy, and regulatory discussions. For example: the gubernatorial elections of Democrats Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, who both emphasized utility rate affordability in their races, with Sherrill vowing to implement a utility rate freeze. This affordability-first approach could extend to Commissioner appointments in New Jersey, as they did early this quarter in Connecticut where Thomas Weihl, formerly of the CT Office of Consumer Counsel, was appointed Chair. In Georgia, the election ousted two long-serving Commissioners in favor of new faces with promises for fewer rate increases. In California, the PUC voted to decrease the utilities’ ROE by 0.3 percentage points. And across the country, legislators are considering bills that would limit the socialization of the costs of connecting data centers to the grid.
Flexibility Gets Noticed
While flexible service connections (FSCs) are currently only implemented in California, they are garnering interest from across the country. In addition to our white paper on the topic, we know of several papers that are coming out soon (we’ll share these when available). The topic was addressed at the NARUC Annual Meeting, with PG&E, Tesla, and EPRI weighing in. FSCs were raised as a possibility in New York in stakeholder comments on the scope of a load interconnection proceeding, and were also a topic of discussion in Xcel’s Distribution System Plan proceeding in Colorado. And at the end of December, the CPUC issued a Proposed Decision that would standardize static FSC offerings for PG&E and SCE customers.
Proactive Investment Frameworks Take Shape
In Q4, proactive investments were approved in Colorado through Xcel’s DSP, and frameworks were approved in California (pending loads / scenario planning Resolutions) and New York. This follows the approval earlier in 2025 of the proactive investment framework in Minnesota. In early 2026, ATE and RMI are hosting a convening of consumer advocates and utilities to compare and contrast these emerging frameworks, following a similar convening in March of 2025.
Utility TE Plans and Programs Continue
Meanwhile, the next generation of utility TE Plans are in process around the country. In Q4, PGE (OR) filed its final TE Plan, which was approved (in addition to the approval this summer of PacifiCorp’s OR plan). Avista (WA) and Xcel (MN) also filed TE Plans in Q4, and National Grid, Eversource and Unitil filed for new programs in MA. Plans or programs remain under consideration in Virginia (Dominion and APCo), Maryland (BGE, Pepco, Delmarva, and Potomac Edison), and New Jersey (PSE&G, ACL and O&R). We expect plans to be filed this year in Michigan (DTE and Consumers) and Colorado (Xcel). Lastly, program changes are afoot in California, where “Funding Cycle 0” programs will sunset at the end of this year, but technical assistance and make-ready tariffs will continue; and Illinois, where the recently-passed Clean and Reliable Grid Act narrows the utilities’ role in TE rebate programs. Broadly, we’re seeing utilities streamline their customer-facing TE programs, focusing on education and outreach, commercial EVSE and make-ready rebates, fleet advisory services, residential managed charging, and underserved communities.
Weights and Measures Gets Weighty
The topic of measurement accuracy of EVSE and EVs (via telematics) continues to gain prominence. ATE’s take: accurate measurement is important, but not at the cost of a functioning charging market. In Maryland, the Department of Agriculture opted to delay enforcement of its $150 per port annual inspection fee until July 1. Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services began enforcing a $100 per port annual inspection fee in December, but the Drive Electric Florida Coalition continues to press for a lower amount, and leaders are cautiously optimistic. And the issue also popped up in New York, where the Department of Agriculture indicated in a PSC docket on submetering accuracy that they are exploring a similar inspection process.
Overall, it’s been a busy quarter for policy and regulation in the EV space. We’ll continue to track these topics and more in the coming months, and share what we learn with you.