On June 21, 2023, NASEO and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners released a report, Clean Energy Microgrids: Considerations for State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions to Increase Resilience, Reduce Emissions, and Improve Affordability, that discusses the potential benefits of clean energy microgrids for states.
Clean energy microgrids can provide different benefits and services to critical infrastructure, disadvantaged communities, higher learning institutions and other electric consumers, including decarbonization, increased resilience, cost savings and grid efficiency. State Energy Offices and public utility commissions play an important role in supporting and implementing different regulatory, programmatic and policy actions to support the development and deployment of clean energy microgrids and in addressing some of the affordability, cost and technological challenges.
Although gaps in information, research, investment, policies and regulations persist for implementing clean energy microgrids, resources such as this publication, facilitated through the NASEO-NARUC Microgrids State Working Group, help fill those gaps and enable microgrids to deliver benefits to the public.
“Over the past decade, State Energy Offices have partnered with energy providers, local governments, and utilities to develop microgrid roadmaps and facilitate microgrid installations that enhance resilience and reduce emissions,” said NASEO President David Terry. “The NASEO-NARUC Clean Energy Microgrids guide offers states actionable policy and regulatory considerations to facilitate construction of clean energy microgrids by local governments, state institutions, mission-critical facilities and businesses.”
Along with outlining the benefits and challenges of clean energy microgrids, the report offers economic and cost considerations for clean energy microgrid development. It also delves into the necessary technological components of a clean energy microgrid and highlights current and future clean technologies that are becoming increasingly more cost effective and competitive. The report concludes with policy and regulatory considerations for State Energy Offices and public utility commissions to assist in the deployment of clean energy microgrids.
“Ensuring energy resilience and meeting state decarbonization goals are two major challenges that state regulators are tasked to address. This new clean energy microgrid paper is a helpful resource for state public utility commissions grappling with these interrelated topics,” said NARUC Executive Director Greg White. “We are extremely proud of our ongoing partnership with NASEO through our joint Microgrid State Working Group and we are thrilled to help develop valuable resources like the clean energy microgrids white paper.”
This report was made possible by support from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity. The U.S. DOE OE provided financial support for this initiative and research that informed the development and scope of this report.