American Gas Foundation

Study #1 - assessing policy design and regulatory frameworks for enabling investments in energy system resiliencethe objective of this study is to conduct research that examines and answers the following questions:1. What changes are needed to the current regulatory framework that could enable utility infrastructure investments to enhance energy system resilience?2. What approaches can be used for measuring the resilience of the energy system?3. How can resilience be valued and considered in the regulatory justification for energy system infrastructure investments?4. How may regulatory frameworks and cost of service recovery analysis be modified to recognize the increasing interdependencies of the Gas and electric systems to enhance overall energy system resilience?

Study #2 - assessing policy options for advancing the demand for low-carbon supply resources for Gas distribution companiesthe objective of this study is to conduct research and perform qualitative and quantitative analyses that answer the following questions:1. What barriers/obstacles exist in the current regulatory landscape at the state level for natural Gas utilities to advance low carbon resources?2. What are the best regulatory practices available to give utilities a reasonable opportunity to transition to low-carbon Gas resources? Will those best practices change in a carbon-neutral environment?3. What rate design characteristics will allow utilities to recover costs and earn an adequate rate of return in the carbon-neutral environment?4. What policy changes are required to allow utilities to introduce higher-priced gases like rng and hydrogen into the distribution system?