Active Efficiency in Action
The best way to understand the value of Active Efficiency is to see it in action. There are many examples that demonstrate the potential of Active Efficiency. Between the economic, social, and environmental benefits, the hard work that goes into making these examples successful is something to be celebrated.
National Association of State Energy Officials Joint Task Force on Comprehensive Electricity Planning
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) convened a joint task force on comprehensive electricity planning that brought together representatives of State Energy Offices and Public Utility/Service Commissions from 15 states. The Task Force has explored how emerging technologies, decreasing costs, consumer preferences, new energy service providers, and state and local efforts are driving significant growth in distributed energy resources (DERs) such as solar, storage, energy efficiency, demand management, and microgrids.
These investments increasingly require regulatory and policy innovation and a greater emphasis on planning to overcome challenges in integrating multiple systems and to avoid unnecessary costs associated with operating the grid. With utilities making annual capital expenditures of more than $130 billion on behalf of customers, considering the full range of investment options across the electricity system is essential for cost effectively meeting current and emerging grid needs such as increased flexibility and resilience. With growing customer installation of DERs, electricity planning needs to account for the quantity, location, capabilities, and load shapes of resources added to the distribution system and the bulk power system. The Task Force has compiled a large library of resources covering 15 areas of interest. The Task Force is developing state-led pathways toward a more resilient, efficient, and affordable grid through better aligning resource and distribution system planning. Participants will outline state-specific action plans to better align their state’s planning processes at the initiative’s conclusion. The task force will conclude in February 2021.
NASEO and NARUC also collaborate through the NASEO-NARUC Grid-interactive Efficient Building (GEB) Working Group. The Working Group provides an opportunity for state energy officials and state utility regulators to explore GEB technologies and applications; identify opportunities and impediments (technical and non-technical); identify and express state priorities and interests; inform policy, planning, programs and regulation; consider regulated and unregulated electric sector investments and implications; and advance GEB road map and pilot options. The Working Group includes DOE National Laboratory technical assistance to the states (currently focused on GEB potential, grid valuation of demand flexibility, public building applications, and pilot projects), exchange among states and stakeholders (e.g., webinars on Washington State grid-interactive appliance standards, utility demand flexibility pilots, and emission impact quantification; exchange on ESPC and time differentiation), development and dissemination of briefing documents and resources, and input to DOE on state needs and interests.