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Public Utilities

Critical Infrastructure Protection
commentary
Loose-Fit Infrastructure Can Better Account for Climate Change
Mikhail Chester, Constantine Samaras
Apr 8, 2021
The Hill
As climate change accelerates there is a growing disconnect between what our infrastructure systems can do and what we need them to do. Policymakers should view infrastructure investments as not simply hardware fixes and upgrades, but as efforts to close this gap.
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U.S. Postal Service
commentary
The USPS Is a Public Service, Not a Business
Michael S. Pollard @MichaelSPollard, Lois M. Davis @LoisMDavis
Apr 6, 2021
The National Interest
As Congress and the White House debate how to assist the Postal Service, it will be important to understand the effects of proposed cost-cutting measures on mail delivery of vital services, smaller and rural communities, low-income communities, and the USPS's broader public safety and security functions.
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Energy Security
commentary
The Pentagon Could Help Improve Resilience of the U.S. Electric Grid
Beth E. Lachman, Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright
Mar 25, 2021
Defense News
The resilience and robustness of the U.S. electric grid needs to be improved, especially given the likely increased occurrence and magnitude of natural disasters due to climate change. This is where government entities that operate large facilities in the United States, such as the Department of Defense, can potentially play a role.
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Machine Learning
commentary
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Are Important Tools to Improve Cost Estimation for Natural Disasters in Electric Utilities
Ismael Arciniegas Rueda, Parousia Rockstroh
Dec 4, 2020
Energy Central
Natural disasters in the United States cause billions of dollars of damage to electric infrastructure every year. Applying artificial intelligence and machine learning in a disaster-recovery context for electrical utilities might significantly improve cost estimating capability and responsiveness.
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Energy Security
commentary
The Downside of a Lean Electric Grid
Ismael Arciniegas Rueda, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg
Oct 13, 2020
The Hill
The electric grid is central to U.S. national security. Recent disasters provide an example of the downsides of leanness. It's more costly to be less lean, but given our dependence on the electric grid and the increasing prevalence of disasters, safety and resilience may be greater priorities.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
Voting in a Pandemic, the U.S. Postal Service, Defunding the Police: RAND Weekly Recap
Aug 28, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on Americans' views about voting in the age of COVID-19, what makes the U.S. Postal Service so essential, why some in law enforcement may be open to “defunding the police,” and more.
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U.S. Postal Service
commentary
The United States Postal Service Is More 'Essential' Than You Thought
Michael S. Pollard @MichaelSPollard, Lois M. Davis @LoisMDavis
Aug 25, 2020
The Hill
The U.S. Postal Service is an essential service that delivers mail to every address in the country, connects rural communities, and contributes to public safety. But it is still mistakenly thought of as a private business that should be able to turn a profit.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
The Postal Service, Election Security, Reducing Child Deaths: RAND Weekly Recap
Jun 26, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on the role of the U.S. Postal Service, preparing for the presidential election, reducing child deaths in Nigeria, and more.
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Wildfires
commentary
Turning Off Power to Combat Wildfires Could Harm the Very People Who Need Protection
Joie D. Acosta, Regina A. Shih @ReginaShih
Oct 28, 2019
CalMatters
While intentionally shutting off power may be a practical way to prevent power lines from sparking wildfires, is it worth the risks? Until more thoughtful and comprehensive decisions are made, planned power outages need to be planned better.
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Water Resources Management
commentary
How to Ensure Quality Drinking Water Service for All? One Option Is Fewer Utilities
David Catt, Michelle E. Miro, Miriam E. Marlier
Mar 26, 2019
The RAND Blog
California's Human Right to Water Bill declares that “every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water.” One clear barrier to reaching this target is the sheer number of small water utilities that pose service sustainability and public health risks to their customers.
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Global Climate Change
commentary
Staying Cool—as the Globe Warms
Gulrez Shah Azhar
Apr 23, 2018
Science and Development Network
Studies suggest that the heat of the future will exceed humans' capacity to cope. But taking advantage of smart technology, inexpensive traditional methods of cooling that require little energy use, and innovative energy-efficient technologies could provide a sustainable path forward in heat-challenged regions.
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Terrorist Bombings
commentary
Austin Bombings Highlight a Potential Vulnerability in the Mail Delivery System
Lois M. Davis @LoisMDavis, Michael S. Pollard @MichaelSPollard
Apr 17, 2018
Inside Sources
USPS is better than private couriers at identifying and detecting suspicious packages. Given that they are increasingly handling
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Infrastructure Finance
commentary
How Federal Policy Could Help Water and Wastewater Utilities
Debra Knopman, David Catt
Jan 16, 2018
Inside Sources
A targeted approach could help the federal government address the root causes of infrastructure problems more effectively than a spending initiative that simply spreads money around with the hope that more spending might do some good.
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Public Utilities
commentary
Getting (Solar) Electricity Pricing Right
Nicholas Burger, Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright, Benjamin Michael Smith
Jul 24, 2017
The Energy Collective
Demand for rooftop solar panels is soaring among U.S. homeowners. Meanwhile, states are struggling to adapt a 20th-century electrical grid—and the corresponding cost structure for electricity rates—to this 21st-century reality. This is causing confusion and uncertainty.
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Water Supply
commentary
Getting the Lead Out of Pittsburgh's Water
Jordan R. Fischbach, Linnea Warren May @LinneaKWMay
Jul 3, 2017
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Without an aggressive long-term strategy for replacing service lines, and collaboration among the water authority, public officials, and residents, lead in Pittsburgh's water will persist.
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Energy Distribution
commentary
Investing in Infrastructure? Don't Forget the Electric Grid
Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright, Kathleen Loa
Dec 7, 2016
Inside Sources
Leaving the future of America's electricity grid to chance should not be an option. To maximize the potential benefits of a multibillion-dollar smart grid investment, a closer examination of technology and policy is needed.
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Public Utilities
commentary
What Durban Can Teach Detroit: Getting Customers to Pay Their Water Bills
Julia Pollak
Jul 29, 2015
The RAND Blog
South Africa is proving that governments in poor cities can provide water and collect payment without turning off the water spigot. Detroit and Baltimore might consider exploring models like this that have been successfully tested in even more challenging settings.
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Energy Consumption
essay
Power to the People: How Smart Grids Can Change the Way We Live
Apr 27, 2015
A modernized, 'smart' grid could change how much you pay for electricity, where it comes from, and how likely you are to lose it in a summer storm. But has the reality of the smart grid kept pace with the promise?
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The Internet
commentary
The Clash of Internet Civilizations: Why Neither Side Should Prevail
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Apr 10, 2015
Government Technology
The debate over net neutrality pits two opposing philosophies against each other — one pushing for the continued evolution of the Internet as an open information superhighway, the other asserting that the Internet's evolution needs to take more account of the many ways it is and will be used.
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