Advanced Energy Perspectives

In the rapidly evolving energy landscape, a growing number of distributed energy resources (DERs) are being deployed on the grid, providing flexibility, resilience, cost savings, and clean energy to communities. However, as the number of grid-connected DERs grows, their full potential will only be realized if the right grid infrastructure is in place, including transmission systems that complement and support DER deployment.  

Yes, that’s right; getting the most out of DERs is not just about making changes to the distribution system. A new report by Strategen, Better Together: The Benefits of Coordination in the Development of Transmission and Distributed Energy Resources, explores the symbiotic relationship between transmission and DERs. 

On August 29, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (the Department) issued a pivotal order that could shape the state’s future energy landscape. This ruling marks a significant, though incremental, step toward modernizing the Commonwealth’s distribution grid, offering a preliminary roadmap to guide Massachusetts on its journey toward a more advanced energy infrastructure.

Roughly one-third of Americans report having a side hustle to supplement their income. Side hustles range from delivery drivers to social media influencers and may soon include something surprising—electricity providers. That’s the promise of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP), letting consumers sell their unused energy back to the grid and get compensated for it. A VPP is formed when distributed energy resources – like solar panels, batteries, and EVs – are combined, or “aggregated” together and managed as a single resource like a power plant.