The energy system is fundamentally changing. There is a major need for new grid management strategies to handle this transition and the challenges that come along.
By Rachel Bryant, Senior Director of Regulatory & Policy Business Development at GridX and Alex Lopez, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Uplight •Sept. 30, 2024
Distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar, battery storage and electric vehicles, are experiencing significant growth in the U.S. as the power sector evolves to a cleaner, less centralized future.
By Utility Dive staff
Courtesy of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The 12-MW microgrid comprises solar, fuel cells and battery energy storage that can power half of the terminal’s daily operations, airport and project officials said.
The contract will allow for “seamless participation” of distributed energy resource aggregators in wholesale markets, consistent with FERC Order 2222, the energy standards board said.
NYSERDA’s Future Energy Economy Summit, held earlier this month, will inform state renewable energy deployments and action on advanced, dispatchable generation, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
“Failing to adopt new strategies and technologies is the higher-risk path for utilities today,” said Jigar Shah, director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office.
Less than 20% of total DER capacity is VPP-enrolled, with residential thermostat and commercial and industrial demand response dominating, Wood Mackenzie found.
Limited generation profiles in California will schedule limits to DERs during system constraints. New York, Illinois, Colorado and others are testing more flexible approaches.
Even though PJM’s capacity prices hit record highs for 2025-26, they could go even higher or remain elevated unless the grid operator’s generation capacity can catch up with its surging demand.
The company says Sunverge Energy’s system allows it to create virtual power plants that can help improve customer site resiliency and add load flexibility to the grid.
As the energy landscape continues to evolve, utilities must effectively communicate the benefits of natural gas to residential and commercial customers.
Despite significant technical and program design challenges, virtual power plants can significantly reduce future generation and transmission investments, participants said.
The more than 500 VPPs operational in the United States can help address summer peaks in 2024, while new VPPs can be online in time for summer 2025, RMI said.
The tool helps stakeholders navigate increasingly complex grid investment considerations as more states require utilities to file distribution plans, the lab said.
EV charging, solar and fuel-based generation will be the largest sources of added distributed capacity, according to WoodMac’s 2024 U.S. distributed energy resource outlook.
While utilities need to invest in new technologies, they should consider reinvigoration of an underappreciated tool that they already have: the customer IT stack.
By Emma Rodvien — Senior Manager of US Regulatory Affairs and Market Development, Kraken •June 24, 2024
Most utilities, however, will need to increase coordination with residential customers to maximize the potential of distributed energy resources, according to Deloitte.
The “move fast and break things” business model of the technology sector is meeting the regulated spending and reliability imperatives of the utility sector.
Chris Rauscher discusses best practices for VPP design, the grid value of demand response and why targeting early adopters could lead distributed energy providers astray.
The proposed framework — developed in collaboration with Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Nucor — includes “innovative financing” to support emerging technologies like advanced nuclear and long-duration storage in the Carolinas.
gyn9038 via Getty Images
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