Incentives for Change: Why Utilities Continue to Build and How Regulators Can Motivate Them to Modernize

Outdated utility financial incentives are inhibiting the transition to a clean energy future, increasing consumer costs, and stifling new technologies. Yet, this state of affairs is hardwired into the regulatory system. In this handout, Acadia Center analysis demonstrates how this imbalance plays out in scenarios from around the Northeast. Easy-to-read infographics show what compels utilities to continue building traditional infrastructure and why incentives must be reformed to align utility, consumer, and environmental interests.