The National Council on Electricity Policy (“NCEP”) issued a July 2026 guidance document titled:
NCEP Framework for State Agency Collaboration on Load Growth (“Guidance).
NCEP characterizes the framework as intended to help state agencies coordinate planning for major new utility electricity users including:
- Data centers.
- Advanced manufacturing facilities.
The Guidance is stated to have been facilitated by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Center for Partnerships & Innovation.
NCEP describes itself as a collaborative forum for state-level electricity decision-makers to share perspectives and learn from one another. The organization states that it focuses on:
... the impact of pressing energy system issues on electricity policy and electricity customers, how different state decision-makers’ roles influence their approaches, and how federal policies, regulations, and priorities affect state actions.
Commissioner Katie Anderson of the Arkansas Public Service Commission is one of the members of the NCEP Executive Committee and is listed as providing guidance during the document’s development.
The Guidance initially notes that states across the country are experiencing a rapid increase in electricity demand driven by new large loads. This growth is stated to:
- Offer potential benefits.
- Present a wide variety of challenges.
Issues arising include:
- Infrastructure planning.
- Cost allocation.
- System reliability.
- Permitting.
- Broader public trust.
The framework is stated to help states shift decision-making from a reactive project-by-project process to a proactive, system-level strategy for managing large load growth.
The framework identifies three priorities:
- Coordination among state agencies.
- Shared data and analysis to support decision-making.
- Evaluation of economic costs, benefits, and risks.
Outlines are six approaches that states will be able to consider:
- Early Interagency Coordination.
- Shared Information Portals.
- State-level Load Forecasting.
- Interconnection Policies for Large Loads.
- Large Load Tariffs.
- Shared Economic Development Goals.
The Guidance also provides a number of relevant resources.
A copy of the Guidance can be found here.
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