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Public Utilities

Commentary
Rebuilding Ukraine for a Changing Climate
When the war in Ukraine ends, the country will in all likelihood undergo a massive reconstruction. Ukraine could rebuild in a way that would both lower its carbon footprint and construct infrastructure resilient to the effects of climate change.
Jul 8, 2022
Report
Equity Metrics for Climate Adaptation in the Electricity Sector
Social equity has become a key concern among public agencies. The authors developed an illustrative set of context-specific equity metrics that Southern California Edison could build on and incorporate into its ongoing work toward climate adaptation.
Feb 17, 2022
Report
Incentivizing Solar: Catalyzing Solar Energy Technology Adoption to Address the Challenge of Climate Change
The authors provide an overview of the U.S. solar energy market and identify federal incentives that can help decarbonize the U.S. economy. They also explore solar reliability, job benefits, and availability to disadvantaged communities.
Jul 14, 2021
Commentary
Loose-Fit Infrastructure Can Better Account for Climate Change
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.
Apr 8, 2021
Commentary
The USPS Is a Public Service, Not a Business
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.
Apr 6, 2021
News Release
Public Trust of the Centers for Disease Control Falls During Coronavirus Pandemic
Public trust in the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has fallen during the coronavirus pandemic, with the decline bringing overall population-level trust in the agency to the same lower level of trust long held by Black Americans about the agency.
Apr 5, 2021
Report
Trust in the CDC Declined During the COVID-19 Pandemic
From May to October 2020, some Americans lost trust in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The drop in trust was particularly significant among people who intended to vote for a candidate other than Joe Biden in the 2020 election or did not intend to vote at all. This suggests that views of the CDC are now strongly politicized.
Apr 5, 2021
Commentary
The Pentagon Could Help Improve Resilience of the U.S. Electric Grid
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.
Mar 25, 2021
Journal Article
Modeling the Uncertainty of Potential Impacts on Robust Stormwater Management from Neighborhood-Scale Impervious Cover Change: A Case Study of Population-Based Scenarios in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
This work presents a method for applying high-spatial resolution population-based scenarios to pre-existing stormwater models. We explore the impact of two long-term population growth scenarios for the Pittsburgh region.
Feb 4, 2021
Commentary
Improving Cost Estimation for Natural Disasters in Electric Utilities
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.
Dec 4, 2020
Commentary
The Downside of a Lean Electric Grid
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.
Oct 13, 2020
Multimedia
Is the United States Postal Service Essential?
RAND sociologist Michael Pollard describes the essential services the U.S. Postal Service provides and the pandemic's effect on USPS operations.
Oct 7, 2020
Report
Beyond Recovery: Transforming Puerto Rico's Water Sector in the Wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria
The recovery plan for the water sector in Puerto Rico involves not only repairing hurricane-damaged water infrastructure and systems but also fixing the significant legacy challenges in the sector's infrastructure, operations, and governance.
Sep 30, 2020
Periodical
RAND Review: September-October 2020
Feature stories explore how Pardee RAND is helping to shape the future of public policy through its Faculty Leaders Program; the safety and sustainability of the U.S. blood supply; and how telemedicine is changing the delivery of health care.
Sep 8, 2020
Blog
Voting in a Pandemic, the U.S. Postal Service, Defunding the Police: RAND Weekly Recap
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.
Aug 28, 2020
Commentary
The Postal Service Is More 'Essential' Than You Thought
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.
Aug 25, 2020
Journal Article
Maintaining Critical Infrastructure Resilience to Natural Hazards During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Hurricane Preparations by US Energy Companies
This article describes the ways that an energy organization, the regional transmission operator PJM, is preparing for hurricanes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article has implications for policy makers working to maintain infrastructure resilience to natural hazards during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aug 11, 2020
Blog
The Postal Service, Election Security, Reducing Child Deaths: RAND Weekly Recap
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.
Jun 26, 2020
Report
The Postal Service and the Pandemic
How do Americans feel about the Postal Service during the COVID-19 crisis? How do they think USPS compares with private courier companies? Are they concerned about handling mail and packages? New survey data sheds light on these questions and more.
Jun 22, 2020
Commentary
Turning Off Power to Combat Wildfires Could Harm the Very People Who Need Protection
Intentionally shutting off power may be a practical way to prevent power lines from sparking wildfires. But is it worth the risks? Until more thoughtful and comprehensive decisions are made, planned power outages need to be planned better.
Oct 28, 2019

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RAND Topic:
Public Utilities

Topic Synonyms:
Utilities

Research conducted by

RAND Social and Economic Well-Being