New Utilize Coalition Paper Offers Framework for Measuring Grid Utilization as States Move Toward Implementation

With Virginia utilities preparing first-in-the-nation filings on grid utilization and policy interest growing nationwide, new paper provides regulators and utilities a common approach to measuring how the grid is used over time and delivering more affordable energy

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Utilize Coalition, a nonprofit supported by Carrier, Google, Tesla, and other energy industry leaders, today released Beyond Peak: Defining, Measuring, and Optimizing Grid Utilization, a new policy paper proposing a common framework for measuring how effectively transmission and distribution infrastructure is used over time.

The paper comes as policymakers search for new solutions to electricity affordability, and grid utilization moves rapidly into state law and utility regulation. Earlier this year, Virginia became the first state to enact legislation requiring major electric utilities to propose grid utilization metrics. By October 15, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power must file proposals with the State Corporation Commission that include both utilization metrics and assessments of how efficiently their existing grid infrastructure is being used.

Other states are beginning to ask similar questions, with emerging legislative or regulatory interest in grid utilization in Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, and elsewhere.

"Grid utilization is moving from an idea to a real regulatory question, and that means policymakers, regulators, and utilities need a common language for what they are actually measuring," said Ian Magruder, Founder and Executive Director of Utilize Coalition. "Virginia's utilities are weeks away from making the first filings required under a state grid utilization law, and similar conversations are happening around the country. This paper is intended to provide a practical starting point: measure utilization consistently, interpret the numbers in context, and use that information to make better decisions and achieve better outcomes for customers."

The new paper builds on independent analysis released earlier this year by The Brattle Group and commissioned by Utilize Coalition and GridLab. That analysis found that better utilization of the existing U.S. power system could reduce consumer electricity bills by more than $100 billion over the next decade.

Beyond Peak defines grid utilization for transmission and distribution infrastructure as the share of deliverable energy that is actually delivered over a given period. Unlike peak measurements, which show how infrastructure performs during its highest-demand periods, utilization captures how infrastructure delivers value across time. The paper argues that utilization should add to — not replace — existing information about peak demand, reliability, system constraints, asset condition, growth, and cost.

The paper recommends several principles for putting that definition into practice:

• Report nominal and operational utilization together. A nominal calculation uses a fixed reference rating to provide a transparent, reproducible benchmark, while an operational calculation reflects usable capacity under defined operating and reliability conditions. Reporting both can help utilities and regulators track performance, identify changes, and balance transparency with decision relevance.
• Treat utilization as a diagnostic tool, not a score to maximize. A high or low utilization value does not by itself determine whether additional load can be served or whether new infrastructure is needed. The paper recommends interpreting utilization alongside existing system metrics and indicators to inform better decision-making.
• Match the measurement to the decision. Utilization can be measured at different system levels, over different geographic boundaries, and across different time periods. The appropriate resolution, complementary metrics, and practical limits will differ between transmission and distribution and across planning decisions.
• Use utilization performance to distinguish grid needs and evaluate what's working. Utilization information can help identify where additional demand may fit on the existing grid, where flexibility or capacity-enhancing technologies may address a narrow constraint, and where larger infrastructure investments may be needed. It can also give utilities and regulators a common language to evaluate existing programs and investments, understand the value they provide, and assess whether they contribute to system productivity and affordability.

This represents a new dimension to how we build and use the grid. The paper emphasizes that improving utilization is not an alternative to building the grid America needs — it is a way to ensure that both existing and new infrastructure are used as effectively and affordably as possible.

Read the full paper here.

ABOUT UTILIZE COALITION

Utilize is an industry-led coalition focused on improving grid utilization to make electricity cheaper, faster, and more reliable. The coalition works with policymakers, utilities, and stakeholders to unlock unused capacity on the existing electric grid, helping states meet rising demand while lowering electricity rates. Learn more at www.utilizecoalition.org.

Media contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Utilize Coalition