Small-Scale Distributed Energy Resources Are Upending Washington D.C.’s Power Grid As We Know It

Small-Scale Distributed Energy Resources Are Upending Washington D.C.’s Power Grid As We Know It

As climate change continues to ravage the globe, areas like the District of Columbia are committed to a shift from traditional power generation (such as coal, natural gas and nuclear) to renewable generation sources. In fact, the District’s Clean Energy DC Plan has set some of the most aggressive goals nationwide, with a plan to halve carbon emissions and transition to 100% renewable energy by 2032. This comes with a host of obstacles to overcome, namely, data access and transmission interconnection barriers.

AEG has worked tirelessly to convene leaders to address these challenges. Last week, Stakeholders convened for the AEG Washington 21Q3 Stakeholder Challenge on Grid Modernization to do just that.

Modernizing NY's Grid: Progress on IoT but More To Do

Modernizing NY's Grid: Progress on IoT but More To Do

In the last two weeks alone, due to either extreme heat or volatile lightning storms, I have received five alerts from ConEdison warning me that the power may go out. New York’s grid is not ready to handle the climate challenges we are facing and the ones that are sure to come. We need to modernize New York’s grid as soon as possible.

A Glimpse into 'Watt' It Takes to Modernize Washington D.C.’s Electrical Grid

A Glimpse into 'Watt' It Takes to Modernize Washington D.C.’s Electrical Grid

While D.C. may have a unique and interesting grid, like all other grids in the country, it needs to be modernized. As our nation’s capital, it would make sense for D.C. to have not only one of the oldest microgrids in the country, representing our rich technical history, but also one of the newest microgrids in the country to represent our technical progress and innovation. Like all other grids in the country, D.C.’s grid needs to modernize to maximize resilience and efficiency in the face of increasing threats such as extreme weather events. However, as part of the PJM Interconnection, D.C. relies almost entirely on the other 13 states in the interconnection for their electrical needs. Modernizing this grid will take major efforts on the part of all stakeholders in both the district and within the wider interconnection.