Focus Area
Research on electricity markets, grid modernization, clean energy siting, and the policies shaping how power gets built and delivered.
Commentary September 2026
Catherine Hausman
Open up your favorite newspaper, and you’re likely to see a story about electricity. With customers and politicians voicing concerns about data center growth and rising energy bills,…
Datasets and Dashboards OpenEI ↗ · September 2026
A free storehouse of rate structure information from utilities in the United States. The URDB includes rates for utilities based on the authoritative list of U.S. utility companies…
Working Papers and Reports U.S. Department of Energy, Grid Deployment Office / NREL / PNNL ↗ · September 2026
Multi-year modeling study (nearly 100 scenarios through 2050) of interregional transmission buildout needs, including downloadable long-term capacity expansion results and an interactive Tableau visualization.
Datasets and Dashboards Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ↗ · September 2026
Searchable repository of FERC dockets, orders, and regional transmission organization filings (e.g., Order No. 1920 transmission planning compliance filings), a primary source for grid modernization and interconnection policy…
Datasets and Dashboards USGS Energy Resources Program & Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ↗ · September 2026
Comprehensive, field-verified database and interactive viewer of U.S. ground-mounted solar facilities (1 MW+), including array footprint, technology type, site type (greenfield/brownfield), and year online — useful for siting…
Datasets and Dashboards U.S. Department of Energy / National Renewable Energy Laboratory ↗ · September 2026
Authoritative federal database and map of EV charging and other alternative-fuel stations, with API access; used for infrastructure buildout and access-to-charging research relevant to transportation electrification.
Working Papers and Reports U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity ↗ · September 2026
DOE’s statutorily required triennial ‘state of the grid’ assessment identifying current and near-term (through 2040) transmission capacity constraints and congestion, with regional fact sheets and supplemental data.
Datasets and Dashboards Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ↗ · September 2026
Annual report and companion Excel dataset compiling and analyzing generator interconnection queue data (~97% of installed U.S. capacity), a key bottleneck for new energy siting.
BUILD supports research on how energy infrastructure gets planned, permitted, and built — from transmission and interconnection to renewable energy siting, utility regulation, and state energy policy — and connects it to the policymakers who can act on it.
BUILD is a nonpartisan network of researchers, policymakers, and funders.