Journal profile · ENERGY & FUELS-ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Utilities Policy
ISSN 0957-1787 · eISSN 1878-4356 · Elsevier BV · ENGLAND
Utilities Policy: CAS Zone 3 · Economics (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.9; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,950; review about 168 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy; 215 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Utilities Policy is published by Elsevier BV and is in Zone 3 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Electric Power System Optimization, Smart Grid Energy Management and Water resources management and optimization, together about 29.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Electrical and Electronic Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Network Systems, Critical Infrastructure, Essential ServicesUtilities Policy is a leading peer-reviewed resource for academic researchers and practitioners in the utilities policy community. The journal bridges theory and practice by disseminating original applied research that is rigorous, contemporary, and policy-relevant. The journal publishes full-length articles, insightful and focused policy notes, and thematic special issues. The journal's primary objective is to advance knowledge by publishing papers that engage deeply with policy, regulation and governance of networked utilities, supported by a thorough and timely peer-review and publication process.Utilities Policy is international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral. Articles address trends and issues within and across the utility subsectors:ElectricityNatural and renewable gasWater and wastewaterSolid wastePostal serviceCommunications and broadbandPublic transportation, toll roads, and portsAuthors and reviewers come from various disciplines, including economics, political science, sociology, law, finance, accounting, management, and engineering.Utilities Policy invites submissions that apply various quantitative and qualitative methods, consider institutional and development contexts, and conduct at the national and subnational, urban, and rural scales. Cross-sector comparative analyses of shared concerns are especially welcome. Contributions are welcome from established and emerging scholars and accomplished practitioners. Submissions to the journal should comprise policy analysis that identifies policy implications of the research and aims to inform and improve policymaking.Relevant topics include utility policy-focused works related to:Coexistence of regulatory and market institutionsIndustry structures, ownership, and governancePublic policy institutions, processes, and historyEconomic and environmental regulationRegulatory commissions and performanceAlternative regulatory and governance modelsRestructuring, deregulation, and reregulationMonopolies, market power, and competitionMarket design and dynamics and strategic behaviorInfrastructure financing, risk, and the cost of capitalNetwork and system modeling, operations, and integrationIntegrated resource and resilience planningEconomic efficiency and cost-benefit analysisCentralized and decentralized technologiesRatemaking and rate design processes and policiesPricing incentives and behavioral economicsSupply and demand-side change driversService quality standards and accountabilityPerformance measurement and benchmarkingClean energy and clean water transitionsSustainable systems and developmentClimate change impacts, action, and adaptationCarbon markets, pricing, and taxationEnergy and water poverty, disparity, and affordable accessConsumer participation, protection, and policiesThe subject and analytical approach of submissions should consider the interests of the utility policy community and implications for policymaking. Please note that Utilities Policy does not focus on energy or water resource utilization and management, technical and operational models and practices, nonutility services and other sectors of the economy, or macroeconomic and socioeconomic trends.Audience: Academic researchers, government officials, industry professionals, sector analysts, and advisors and consultants in the global utilities policy community.This journal welcomes contributions that support and advance the UN's sustainable development goals, in particular, SDG6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG7 (Affordable and clean energy), and SDG9 (Industry innovation and infrastructure).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): ENERGY & FUELS-ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Editor-in-chief Seth BlumsackPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 9, United Kingdom 5, Spain 5, Italy 2, Türkiye 2 (30 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Electric Power System OptimizationEngineering13%
- Smart Grid Energy ManagementEngineering10.1%
- Water resources management and optimizationEngineering6.8%
- Energy and Environment ImpactsEnvironmental Science6.8%
- Energy, Environment, and Transportation PoliciesEnergy4.9%
- Integrated Energy Systems OptimizationEngineering4.4%
- Public-Private Partnership ProjectsBusiness, Management and Accounting3.9%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Economics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Energy & Fuels | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Economics Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Energy & Fuels | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Economics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Energy & Fuels | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PubMedPublisher website
Other: Crossref
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 4.9LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 8.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.07LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.12LetPub ·
- h-index
- 42LetPub ·
- h-index
- 90OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,115OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.17OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 36.95%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 202LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,389 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 172 | 81 | 52 |
| 2025 | 215 | 92 | 859 |
| 2024 | 134 | 58 | 1,260 |
| 2023 | 179 | 81 | 3,594 |
| 2022 | 105 | 45 | 1,811 |
| 2021 | 130 | 32 | 3,206 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
168 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports over 12 weeks
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 65 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 168 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,950 / EUR 2,760 / GBP 2,360 / JPY 365,890 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,210 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted2
- articlesArticles: Full-length papers reporting quantitative or qualitative research consistent with the Journal's aims and scope.Length not stated
- policy notesPolicy Notes: Concise and focused papers on a timely policy issue (recommended length of 2,000 to 3,000 words).Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed; does not count as prior publication Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 0957-1787
- Electronic ISSN
- 1878-4356
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Utilities Policy
What CAS zone is Utilities Policy in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Utilities Policy is in Zone 3 of Economics, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Environmental Sciences / Energy & Fuels / Environmental Studies. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Economics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Utilities Policy?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.9; CiteScore 8.2, h-index 90.
How long does peer review take at Utilities Policy?
The publisher reports about 168 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Utilities Policy?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Utilities Policy based?
Of the 30 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (9), United Kingdom (5) and Spain (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Utilities Policy?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Utilities Policy is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists PubMed; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Utilities Policy open access, and what is the APC?
Utilities Policy is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,950.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .