Assessing the Distribution of DER Impacts to Different Customers
Conducting Distributional Analyses of Affordability, Reliability and Other Metrics
Jurisdictions are increasingly centering energy affordability and reliability as an overarching policy goal, identifying key metrics to be considered when making decisions about utility distributed energy resource (DER) investments. This requires analyzing how the costs and benefits of DER investments will be distributed to different customers in terms of metrics such as bill and rate impacts, participation rates, reliability of services, health impacts and other metrics, and considering the results of this distribution analysis alongside benefit-cost analysis (BCA) results to inform a broader decision framework. A guide for conducting such a distributional analysis, developed by US DOE with support from E4TheFuture, is available for state energy regulators and key stakeholders to help inform implications of DER investment decisions. Download the guide below.
Jointly funded by NESP (a project of E4TheFuture) and LBNL (via US DOE EERE), creation of this Guide was informed by an advisory committee with a broad representation of stakeholders.
Summary Framework. A useful 20-page companion document to the Guide, this summary also provides an overview of key steps. Download the Framework Summary
2025 Case Study:
In 2025, E4TheFuture worked with the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) and Synapse Energy Economics to conduct distributional analyses in Illinois, specifically looking at Commonwealth Edison’s Energy Efficiency and Ameren Illinois’ Beneficial Electrification Programs. The report was published in July 2025.