Overview
Held on July 25th, 2024 at WSP offices in New York City, 52 public and private industry leaders convened for the AEG New York 24Q3 Stakeholder Challenge on Grid Modernization. The purpose of this challenge was to: 1.) Agree on a critical obstacle to grid modernization efforts in New York City to meet climate, health, and equity 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. Energy Storage Integration: Unlocking the small commercial energy storage market is essential to meeting New York's clean energy targets, requiring solutions to land use and community perception challenges. Smaller, building-integrated systems can provide the needed flexibility and demand management, supported by incentives and policies like LL97.
2. Stakeholder Collaboration: Effective communication and alignment among diverse stakeholders are crucial for successful project execution and meeting regulatory commitments. Transparent information sharing fosters trust, manages risks, and ensures timely resource delivery, enhancing cross-sector engagement.
3. Infrastructure Flexibility: Advocating for flexible siting and land use standards maximizes the public value of renewable energy projects. This approach enhances the utility of public lands, supports climate goals, and creates replicable metrics for broader impact.
4. Regulatory and Permitting Processes: Streamlining permitting pathways is vital to expedite the development of energy storage and renewable energy projects. Simplified processes reduce costs and delays, promoting rapid deployment and supporting the grid's transition to clean energy.
5. Economic and Community Benefits: Grid modernization efforts should create jobs, enhance grid resiliency, and meet renewable energy targets, benefiting local economies and communities. Projects like the Brooklyn Clean Energy Hub exemplify how such initiatives can provide significant economic impacts and align with public policy goals.
Speaker Challenge Summary
Each speaker provided an 8 minute and 5 slide presentation that concluded with this completed statement: “Regarding Grid Modernization, to achieve New York's Climate, Health and Equity goals under the CLPA, a critical obstacle to collectively overcome in 12 months is __________.
Claudia Villar-Leeman (NY-BEST) emphasized the need to unlock NYC's small commercial energy storage market to meet clean electricity targets, addressing challenges in land use, community perception, and permitting processes. Bobby Kennedy (ConEdison, Inc) outlined the Brooklyn Clean Energy Hub's role in connecting offshore wind energy to NYC's grid, highlighting coordination challenges, job creation, and contributions to New York's renewable energy goals. Sam Jung (NYCEDC) discussed NYCEDC's initiatives to maximize public value from renewable energy infrastructure, advocating for flexible land use standards and collaborative efforts to align projects with broader public policy goals.
Participants agreed to prioritize the above obstacles around the statement provided by Claudia Villar-Leeman, Sr. Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, NY-BEST
“Regarding grid modernization, to achieve New York’s climate, health and equity goals, a critical obstacle to collectively overcome in 12 months is: unlocking the small commercial energy storage market in NYC
Next-Step Actions
Participants designed, presented, and selected a 90-day sprint and 12-month objective to overcome the above critical obstacle. 14 leaders came together to form a Task Force co-led by Claudia Villar-Leeman and Jenna McGrath to complete the above 90-day sprint and 12-month objective.
Other proposed 90-Day Sprints and 12-Month Objectives included:
Task Force Volunteers: Casey Timmerman, EPC Power Corp, Barbara Stickel, Altanova, Kaveh Aflaki, IEMS Solution, Alexis Dankmyer, AEG, Aron Bowman, ELM Companies, Phyllis Kessler, Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis, Harris Eisenhardt, NYISO, Elliott Weinberg, BuildAptive, Sara Mochrie, WSP, Chris De Weaver, INF Associates, Kristen Tadrous, AEG, Ken Hughes, Constellation, Jenna McGrath, Milbank, Claudia Villar-Leeman, NY-BEST
Conclusion
The AEG NY 24Q3 Stakeholder Challenge on grid modernization underscored the urgent need for collaborative efforts among public and private sectors to overcome barriers to unlocking the small commercial energy storage market in NYC. With a focused 90-day sprint and a 12-month objective set by a newly formed Task Force, leaders aim to address financial, technical, and logistical barriers, streamlining permitting processes, and enhancing stakeholder engagement to meet the city's climate, health, and equity goals.
