Think Microgrid

Secretary Granholm has told the Washington Post that “I’m very supportive of microgrids…We should be incentivizing communities to think about them so that they are not so dependent on poles with wires atop that were constructed 70 years ago.” Today, Think Microgrid issued an open letter with the goal of holding Secretary Granholm accountable to this statement. Our letter raises concerns with the recently releases zero emissions building (ZEB) definition, which would prohibit microgrids and distributed energy resources from being leveraged as federal building electrification solutions – even as they often outcompete the grid on emissions reduction, outcompete traditional backup generation on resilience and public health, and provide a pathway to intelligent grid interconnection and virtual power plant (VPP) capabilities. We urge the DOE to reconsider the troublesome impacts of this definition and make adjustments based on more transparent data and stakeholder input. Read the letter: https://e9radar.link/ddpr Reporting by Kathy Hitchens in Microgrid Knowledge: https://e9radar.link/vjpq Jennifer Granholm David Turk Jeff Marootian Nicholas Montoni Carolyn Snyder Jim Carlisle Jigar Shah David Crane Dr. Geri Richmond

In an open letter to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Think Microgrid, a policy advocacy group for the #microgrid industry, said the department’s new #zeroemissions building definition prohibits #microgrids and other #distributedenergy #resilience technologies from serving as solutions to the DOE’s stated priorities around #decarbonization, resilience and modernization of the #electricgrid. Microgrid Knowledge Think Microgrid Cameron Brooks Cole Triedman Rod Walton https://lnkd.in/gSzyit9U

Secretary Granholm has told the Washington Post that “I’m very supportive of microgrids…We should be incentivizing communities to think about them so that they are not so dependent on poles with wires atop that were constructed 70 years ago.” Today, Think Microgrid issued an open letter with the goal of holding Secretary Granholm accountable to this statement. Our letter raises concerns with the recently releases zero emissions building (ZEB) definition, which would prohibit microgrids and distributed energy resources from being leveraged as federal building electrification solutions – even as they often outcompete the grid on emissions reduction, outcompete traditional backup generation on resilience and public health, and provide a pathway to intelligent grid interconnection and virtual power plant (VPP) capabilities. We urge the DOE to reconsider the troublesome impacts of this definition and make adjustments based on more transparent data and stakeholder input. Read the letter: https://e9radar.link/ddpr Reporting by Kathy Hitchens in Microgrid Knowledge: https://e9radar.link/vjpq Jennifer Granholm David Turk Jeff Marootian Nicholas Montoni Carolyn Snyder Jim Carlisle Jigar Shah David Crane Dr. Geri Richmond

Spent Earth Day, last month, in Baltimore at the Microgrid Knowledge Conference! As part of my Energy and Environment Fellowship with Future Caucus (formerly Millennial Action Project), I participated in the 3rd Annual Think Microgrid Policy Workshop. We had a productive dialogue about establishing principles for "community microgrid" legislation, federal funding programs, and new opportunities for microgrids to provide resilience, climate, and equity solutions. Microgrids can operate independently from the main grid, providing power during grid outages or emergencies. This ensures continuity of critical services like hospitals, emergency shelters, and communication networks. Overall, microgrids contribute to a more resilient, flexible, and sustainable energy infrastructure by decentralizing power generation and distribution. Connecticut is paving the way nationally for Microgrids. We were one of the first states nationwide to develop policy to incentivize microgrid development. 2012 legislation created the original Connecticut Microgrid Grant and Loan Program. In 2020, after Tropical Storm Isaias, as Vice Chair of the Energy Committee under the leadership of Chair David Arconti, we amended and expanded the program, defining resilience as a goal and establishing it as a priority for project awards. I look forward to continuing to push in this space as a state legislator.

We were thrilled to host another productive discussion at our third annual Policy Workshop as part of the Microgrid Knowledge 2024 conference. This year's discussion built off of a finding of our newly published Microgrid Taxonomy: that markets for certain microgrid 'families' are thriving, while policy barriers inhibit others from reaching their full potential. According to Elham Akhavan of Wood Mackenzie's market brief, for example, community microgrid projects comprise 41% of ratepayer-funded projects deployed today and only 6% of privately funded– a gap that can be attributed in part to state right-of-way laws. During the workshop, we heard from public agency officials who are designing plans, programs, and incentives to challenge this dynamic, accelerating innovative microgrid configurations and business models. We also heard from state legislators in a discussion facilitated by Think Microgrid member and former Washington state legislator Jeff Morris, during which they shared experiences passing some of the nation's leading state microgrid laws. Throughout the workshop, public officials and attendees brainstormed future legislative principles, which we look forward to synthesize into a co-created report soon. Thank you Microgrid Knowledge Rod Walton Future Caucus (formerly Millennial Action Project) Julia Masters Brandon Bowser Veronica Szczerkowski Stephen Boyd Paige Ferguson Chris Lee Rebecca McWilliams Raghib Allie-Brennan Elinor Levin for your contributions. Reach out to Executive Director Cameron Brooks or Policy Director Cole Triedman to learn more about Think Microgrid!

Industry advocacy group Think Microgrid has released a new taxonomy to help define #microgrids & the role they can play in transforming our #grid #energy system. Think Microgrid will be joining us several times on stage this coming week for the Microgrid Knowledge Conference Monday-Wednesday at the Marriott Hotels Waterfront along the #Baltimore Inner Harbor. All routes are good to the venue. Join us for the revolution in energy! Kathy Hitchens Cameron Brooks https://lnkd.in/gzKHjj6E

New report by Think Microgrid & Oak Ridge National Laboratory on the #digital interconnection, ownership models and #data strategy for #microgrids. . . . The Think Microgrid Policy Summit will cap the first day of activities at the Microgrid Knowledge Conference April 22-24 in #baltimore ... https://lnkd.in/gBnfaZYy

Ever wondered, “What is a microgrid?” Host Elizabeth Cook, PhD brings you an insightful discussion with Cameron Brooks of Think Microgrid on AEIC's podcast, the Grid Mod Pod. 🎙️ Dive into a snippet of Cameron's take below, and catch the full episode for the comprehensive scoop: https://buff.ly/3UrwXbu

Unlock the power behind the grid! Join us on the Grid Mod Pod, presented by AEIC & hosted by Elizabeth Cook, PhD. In this episode, Cameron Brooks, Executive Director of Think Microgrid, reveals how microgrids are reshaping the energy landscape. Discover the three key characteristics defining microgrids, their impact on the power grid architecture, and how they drive the transition to clean energy. 🍃 🎙️ Don't miss insights on policy frameworks, resilience, and customer-driven growth:

“If we don’t resolve some of these policy barriers, there’s a huge risk that we’re leaving a lot of value on the table, because all of that energy technology could be coordinated in a way that’s not only serving that customer, but it’s actually making our grid stronger, more resilient” - Think Microgrid Executive Director Cameron Brooks, as reported by Ethan Howland of Utility Dive.