What would a democratized electric grid look like?

A lot of discussions about decentralizing the grid get mired in the obstacles. We talk about utility opposition, poor regulation, and antiquated business models that keep us from “getting there.”

But where exactly is ‘there’? Do we have a clear vision of what a democratized energy system might look like?

Not knowing where we’re going might be as big an obstacle as any other.

“Imaginable,” a book by futurist and game designer Jane McGonigal posits that the best way to shape the future is to take mental time trips from the present to ten years forward and play with future scenarios.

Mark Paterson, who leads Energy Catalyst, describes something similar, using the construction of Australia’s Sydney Harbor Bridge as a metaphor for reaching energy goals. The bridge was built simultaneously from its south and north banks to meet in the middle. Paterson calls this present-forward and future-back thinking. The power industry tends to engage in only present-forward thinking, relying on what’s happened in the past to determine what’s ahead. This is like driving forward by looking in the rearview mirror. Future-back thinking allows us to see what’s ahead.

So for our June 26 Energy Changemakers' live stream forum, we plan a discussion among participants that starts on the north bank, the future. We'll take a mental time trip to 2034. What do we want the electric grid to look like in 10 years? Please bring your ideas.

Below is a prompt from Lorenzo Kristov to get us started.

What would a desirable, democratized energy future look like? Consider the potentials of DER technologies, and then put aside the constraints of the current system, and questions like how do we get there, how do we pay for it, etc. Just imagine what it might be like if we build local energy systems with clean, scalable DER technologies in all communities. Use this brainstorm to collect a list of features and attributes, without passing judgment on any of them. Set aside questions like is it feasible, how do we pay for it, how do we deal with IOU/PUC opposition, etc.

And let’s plan to test the vision. Everyone who attends will receive a calendar invite from me to meet June 26, 2034, ten years from now, and see what came to be.

Special thanks to Ben Parvey for his presentation last month that got us looking ahead!

See you soon! If you're a member of the Energy Changemakers community, please remember to RSVP. If you're not a member and would like to attend, please contact veronica@energychangemakers.com to learn about the community.