Grid Talk - Microgrids for Resiliency: Recent Episodes
Grid Talk
Resilience – the ability to withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly from utility disruptions while sustaining mission-critical operations – is increasingly a focus for utilities, policy makers, regulators, and community leaders. While some utilities own and operate microgrids to help ensure supply to critical customers and areas, customers such as the Department of Defense and corporate data centers also own and operate microgrids to prevent power disruptions and to mitigate the consequences of outages when they do occur. Whether utility or customer, owners of existing and proposed microgrids could benefit from increased dialogue about the challenges, insights, advice, and lessons learned through deploying and operating microgrids. This effort convened utilities and microgrid owners to explore how microgrids are being leveraged for resiliency including how they are designed and operated, the technologies they employ, and the business models that are emerging. A key focus is exploring the value that microgrids provide to both utilities and customers.RoundtablesUtilities participated in 7 virtual roundtables focused on various aspects of microgrids and resiliency.
NRECA was founded on the idea of bringing equitable electricity to rural America. Today, some 6.3 million households in electric co-op service areas lack high-speed internet access. Learn how NRECA is now helping to bridge the equity gap between urban and rural populations by bringing broadband to unserved households.
Partnerships with community-based organizations are key to building trust with customers. What is the difference between community engagement versus community outreach? This discussion focuses on the successes and challenges of utilities working to build trust and thoughtfully engage community-based organizations to inform utility planning, operations, and customer programs.
Presenters:
Angela Long, Senior Manager of Planning & Strategy, Portland General Electric
Nick Martin, Manager of Policy and Outreach, Xcel Enegery
Investor-owned utilities (IOUs) experience their own set of unique requirements and standards to serve electric customers. Given these requirements, how must IOUs balance traditional legal requirements for service with addressing energy equity? What are the interpretations and notions of addressing energy equity and how are utilities moving past this to implement equity strategies and actions? This discussion focuses on the experiences of IOUs and include topics such as terminology around energy equity, internal messaging, and equity strategies.
What does it mean to apply an equity lens to designing and implementing new customer programs with the goal of closing the disparity gap? How are utilities like Austin Energy working to develop programs that best serve the community starting with addressing the most vulnerable communities first? This discussion focuses on lessons learned when designing and implementing programs that are community driven and customer focused, including Austin Energy’s innovative e-mobility program: EV’s for Everyone.
Increasing access to clean energy programs for low- and moderate-income (LMI) customers comes with its own set up challenges, starting with identifying disadvantaged communities. Traditional metrics such as adoption and uptake from marketing campaigns are important metrics, but others—such as energy burden—are needed to identify important gaps. In addition, access to clean energy technology for LMI customers often requires the use of federal and state funds to avoid cross subsidization. This discussion focuses on lessons learned when designing and accessing funding for LMI programs.
Presenter: Jeff Feinberg, Snohomish County PUD
Energy companies are beginning to reflect on what incorporating energy equity and environmental justice means at their organizations. The industry’s transition into a carbon-free future still leaves many unanswered questions to address in ensuring no one person or community is left behind. Incorporating energy equity into a large utility organization takes a village - this discussion, “reflecting on incorporating energy equity across your utility organization,” will focus on National Grid’s reflections on taking inventory across the organization to encourage equity.
Presenter: Sheri Givens, Vice President of US Policy and Regulatory Strategy at National Grid
Georgia Transmission Corporation is evaluating microgrid projects as a non-wires solution for transmission reliability and resiliency. However, true resiliency may require prime power solutions, such as fossil fuels. Christina Alston, Transmission Development Manager at Georgia Transmission Corporation will share methodologies for evaluating microgrid alternatives and the lessons learned around balancing the use of emerging technologies with being resilient.
Dominion Energy has developed a set of operating rules for developers of microgrids to ensure safe interconnections to the distribution grid. These rules may be the foundation for future microgrid interconnection standards. This discussion is led by Mamadou Diong, Engineer III at Dominion Energy.
NCEMC has partnered with their cooperatives and members to execute win-win microgrid projects across the state of North Carolina, providing cost savings, sustainability and resiliency. These projects provide real-world examples of how utilities can turn successful pilots into full customer offerings. This discussion is led by John Lemire, Director of Grid Management at NCEMC.
Portland General Electric partnered with the City of Beaverton to build a community resilience microgrid to support the Beaverton Public Safety Center and Police Department. PGE’s approach to partnering with the community to identify potential sites for microgrid projects may be a starting point for many other utilities exploring resiliency planning for major disasters. This discussion is led by Darren Murtaugh, Senior Manager of Grid Edge Solutions at Portland General Electric.
PSE&G participated in the New Jersey Center DER initiative which funded several microgrid feasibility studies for community microgrids across New Jersey. Looking back at their involvement in the process, PSE&G will offer lessons learned and insights to their peers on the role of the utility in a multi-stakeholder process for microgrid development. This discussion is led by Ahmed Mousa, Manager of the Utility of the Future at PSE&G.
Duke Energy has developed several microgrid projects with contractors, engineers and third-party developers to increase resiliency and reliability in their service territory for their customers. They will share their experience on the roles and responsibilities during the procurement, contract execution and development of these microgrid projects. This discussion is led by Adam Nygaard, Business Development Manager – CHP, Microgrids & Energy Storage at Duke Energy.