Annual Program Performance Report: Energy Regulatory & Security Program in Europe & Eurasia

The program aimed to develop the energy regulatory authorities and their networking opportunities in the region, strengthening the regulators and their efforts to establish a stable, efficient, and competitive energy industry. NARUC worked collaboratively with members of the Energy Regulators Regional Association (ERRA) to share U.S. experiences and examine lessons learned and "next" practices. NARUC member commissioners and staff voluntarily participated in ERRA technical training courses and professional development activities, including committee meetings, conferences, and workshops. The NARUC member observational trip reports are available by request from NARUC staff. Training and capacity development were key components of the program. ERRA's December 2012 training course on Principles of Natural Gas Regulation in Budapest, Hungary, was attended by over 30 participants from 13 countries. The training covered topics such as U.S. Federal and State Regulatory frameworks, competitive nature of U.S. regulatory frameworks, shale gas development, and regulatory finance and accounting. Association development was also a critical aspect of the program. ERRA's 11th Energy Investment and Regulation Conference in Izmir, Turkey, was attended by two U.S. commissioners who served as speakers and participated in ERRA's concurrent meetings. NARUC also directly supported the participation of two additional members of its Executive Committee to serve as speakers. Regional regulatory cooperation was another key focus of the program. The Black Sea Regulatory Initiative (BSRI) was established to promote cooperation among energy regulatory authorities in the Black Sea region. NARUC worked with BSRI to develop a regulatory framework for the region and provided technical assistance to BSRI member countries. Promotion of energy security was also a key objective of the program. NARUC worked with regulatory partners in Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, and Ukraine to promote energy security through regulatory partnerships. The program focused on developing regulatory frameworks and capacity to support energy security, including the development of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures. The program used a results-focused performance management system to capture time-bound information about its programs overseas. NARUC developed a Results Framework, which shows the cause-and-effect hierarchy of results through which NARUC's activities are expected to foster important changes in the regulatory commissions and regional energy regulatory associations with which it works. The program also used two types of indicators for assessing performance in relation to the results concept "enhanced operations," including scales rating a set of organizational commission operations developed by NARUC in-house and reported improvements in commission operations. The program achieved several key accomplishments, including the development of regulatory frameworks and capacity in the region, the promotion of energy security through regulatory partnerships, and the establishment of the Black Sea Regulatory Initiative. The program also provided technical assistance to regulatory authorities in the region and supported the participation of U.S. commissioners in ERRA events.