On March 29 – 30, 2022, NASEO and NARUC welcomed State Energy Office and public utility commission members to a two-day virtual workshop on microgrid regulatory and programmatic strategies. NASEO and NARUC thank the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for supporting this workshop and the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) for providing planning and facilitation support.
Workshop attendees listened to an orientation from SEPA on microgrid programs and regulations across the country and heard deep dive presentations from four states taking different approaches to microgrids: the Wisconsin Office of Energy Innovation, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, and the Illinois Commerce Commission. Members gathered in breakout rooms to discuss tactics in these four states and share efforts and considerations from their own states.
Members also provided feedback on a state microgrid policy, programmatic, and regulatory framework to be developed by NARUC and NASEO through the NASEO-NARUC Microgrids State Working Group later in 2022. The framework will document lessons from microgrid programs and regulations, summarize common barriers and uncertainties State Energy Offices and public utility commissions have encountered in leading these initiatives, and suggest resources and strategies to address issues and achieve desired outcomes.
For more information, please visit NASEO and NARUC’s microgrids information pages and email Kelsey Jones (kjones@naseo.org) if you have any questions or are interested in joining the NASEO-NARUC Microgrids State Working Group.