“California’s experience put it years ahead of anywhere else, except Hawaii. The whole concept was a paradigm shift, driven by market forces. Penetration by roof-top PV was at the time ‘tiny’, just noise on the system. But the utilities were getting swamped with new interconnection applications. We were just starting to see on the horizon […]

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Five years ago this month, in August of 2014, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) opened a landmark Rulemaking (R.14-08-013) to explore new policies and methodologies for better incorporation of distributed energy resources (DER) into the electric utility system. In this series of articles, Gridworks explores the intentions and outcomes of this multi-year effort, with […]
Led by Governor Phil Murphy, the Garden State will finalize its 2019 Energy Master Plan, which aims to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050. This plan will set up a strategic vision for the future of energy in New Jersey including all aspects of production, distribution, consumption, and conservation. The newly released The Role of Distributed […]
Gridworks is hosting an upcoming event in collaboration with the California Energy Commission (CEC) and Navigant for a Public Workshop on the Workshop on the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Research Roadmap. This meeting is the first in a short series of public workshops to provide the distributed energy resources community an opportunity to inform research priorities for […]
Electric Rule 21 is a tariff that describes the interconnection, operating and metering requirements for generation facilities to be connected to a utility’s distribution system. The tariff provides customers wishing to install generating or storage facilities on their premises with access to the electric grid while protecting the safety and reliability of the distribution and […]
Distributed energy resource aggregations, or virtual power plants, are emerging as a critical tool for achieving California’s greenhouse gas reduction goals. To better understand virtual power plant functions and values, Silicon Valley Clean Energy and Gridworks are releasing the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Virtual Power Plant Options Analysis discussion draft to generate thoughts, ideas, and feedback on possible solutions and the path […]
Gridworks is pleased to announce the California Energy Commission’s Staff Workshop on the Distributed Energy Resources Technical Assessment (Draft) in Sacramento on March 25th. This is an EPIC funded program being led by a team including Navigant Consulting, Gregg Ander, and Gridworks. California Energy Commission staff, in consultation with Navigant Consulting, Inc., will conduct a workshop to […]
Today the Building Decarbonization Coalition released A Roadmap to Decarbonize California Buildings. The Roadmap was developed with support from Gridworks. Homes and buildings make up 26% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions can be significantly reduced through a strategic transition to electric space and water heaters powered by renewable energy. But this transition will require coordination across […]
New Report: Final Report of the California Public Utilities Commission’s Working Group on Load Shift
As California progresses toward its goal of 100% carbon-free electricity, Load Shift could play an increasingly significant role. The 2025 California Demand Response Potential Study suggests that beginning in 2025 up to $600 million (2015$) could be saved annually by shifting load to avoid the curtailment of renewable generation. The Working Group met 11 times in 2018 […]
GridLAB-D is an open-source distribution system simulation and analysis tool that provides insights to users who design, operate, or contribute to electric distribution systems. Originally developed by the US Department of Energy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, GridLAB-D has been underused. But that’s all about the change. Gridworks, Stanford National Accelerator Laboratory, Hitachi, National Grid, and […]
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