Overview
Held on August 22nd, 2024 at the George Washington University in DC, 48 public and private industry leaders convened for the AEG DMV 24Q3 Stakeholder Challenge on Grid Modernization. The purpose of this challenge was to: 1.) Agree on a critical obstacle to equitable grid modernization efforts in the DMV area to meet climate, health, and energy goals; 2.) Align on a 90-day sprint and 12-month objective to best address this obstacle; and 3.) Enable stakeholders to volunteer as part of a Task Force to deliver the solution.
5 Key Themes
1. Capacity and Energy Demand Growth: The anticipated growth in energy demand, particularly due to electrification and new data centers, requires substantial capacity expansion and careful management of costs, especially for limited-income customers.
“The energy transformation will reflect a broader economic transformation, going far beyond electrification to decarbonize.” - Divesh Gupta, Director, Clean Energy Solutions, Baltimore Gas and Electric
2. Stakeholder Collaboration and Strategic Alignment: Successful grid modernization in the DMV area hinges on aligning the efforts of utilities, government, and large institutions to ensure coordinated progress and resource optimization.
“Technology will evolve over the coming decades, requiring ongoing adaptation and alignment with utility and government efforts to ensure smart investments.” - Mansi Talwar, Executive Director, Engineering, Utilities & Energy, The George Washington University
3. Thermal Energy Networks and Resilience: The development of Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) for military installations presents opportunities to enhance energy resilience, though it requires overcoming complex project development challenges and ensuring a clear business case for stakeholders.
“Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) enable efficient transfer of thermal energy to/from connected buildings and energy assets.” - Tim Tetreault, Program Manager for Energy Water, SERDP & ESTCP
4. Affordability and Economic Viability: Ensuring the economic feasibility of grid modernization efforts, particularly in the context of rising market prices, is essential to maintaining affordability for residents, especially those with limited incomes.
“If you build it, they will come…but at what cost?” - - Divesh Gupta, Director, Clean Energy Solutions, Baltimore Gas and Electric
5. Comprehensive Planning and Implementation: The need for comprehensive planning that integrates advanced grid technologies and aligns with regulatory requirements is critical to achieving climate and equity goals in the region.
“Modernizing the inventory could take over 20 years, requiring immediate planning and action by building owners like GWU to meet long-term goals.” - Mansi Talwar, Executive Director, Engineering, Utilities & Energy, The George Washington University
Speaker Challenge Summary
Each speaker provided an 8 minute and 5 slide presentation that concluded with this completed statement: “Regarding Grid Modernization, to achieve DMV’s Climate, Health and Equity goals, a critical obstacle to collectively overcome in 12 months is __________.
Divesh Gupta highlighted the challenges of meeting growing energy demand in the BGE zone, focusing on the rising costs and the need for affordable capacity market prices, particularly for limited-income customers. Tim Tetreault discussed the development of Thermal Energy Networks for military installations, emphasizing the need for a collaborative approach to create a viable business case for stakeholders. Mansi Talwar addressed the obstacles faced by George Washington University's facilities in achieving decarbonization goals, highlighting the need for strategic alignment and infrastructure upgrades to meet climate and regulatory commitments.
Participants agreed to prioritize the presented obstacles around the statements provided by Mansi Talwar and Tim Tetreault with this derived obstacle:
“Regarding Grid Modernization, to achieve DMV’s Climate, Health, and Equity goals, a critical obstacle to collectively overcome in 12 months is aligning comprehensive planning with utilities, government, and large campuses/DoD facilities for implementation of advanced grid technologies (including thermal energy networks to ensure coordinated process and resource alignment.”
Next-Step Actions
Participants designed, presented, and selected a 90-day sprint and 12-month objective to overcome the above critical obstacle. 22 leaders came together to form a Task Force led by Kristofer Zimmerman, Joint Base Andrews, to complete the above 90-day sprint and 12-month objective.
Other proposed 90-Day Sprints and 12-Month Objectives included:
Task Force Volunteers: Kristofer Zimmerman, Joint Base Andrews (Lead), Divesh Gupta, Baltimore Gas & Electric, Andrea Garcia-Fernandez, The JPI Group, Margaret Niehoff, Baker Tilly, Audrey Schulman, HEETlabs, Jason Schwartz, Lutron, Mansi Talwar, The George Washington University, Sophie Jones, The George Washington University, Sandrine Schultz, ASN EI&E, Robert Parker, Maryland Clean Energy Center, Luke Lanciano, The Tower Companies, Elizabeth King, Georgetown University, Nikola Jovic, DC Sustainable Energy Utility, Michael Virgilio, GSA, Tim Tetreault, SERDP-ESTCP, Clarence Bell, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Stephanie Gonzalez, Limbach, Shalom Flank, Microgrid Architect, Bill Muras, Naval Postgraduate School, Tyler Wyka, The George Washington University
Conclusion
The AEG DMV 24Q3 Stakeholder Challenge on Grid Modernization brought together 48 industry leaders to address critical obstacles in achieving DMV’s climate, health, and equity goals. The challenge emphasized the importance of aligning comprehensive planning with utilities, government, and large campuses, particularly for implementing advanced grid technologies like thermal energy networks. Key themes that emerged included the need for capacity expansion to meet growing energy demands, strategic alignment among stakeholders, ensuring economic viability to maintain affordability, and addressing complex project development challenges. As the newly formed Task Force embarks on a 90-day sprint and 12-month objective, their collaborative efforts will be pivotal in driving equitable and sustainable grid modernization across the DMV area.
