National GEB Roadmap: U.S. DOE, A National Roadmap for Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (May 2021)

U.S. DOE, Connected Communities (overview presentation)

NASEO, "Demand Flexibility and Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings 101" (September 2022)

 

What's new? 

  • Upcoming:

    • DOE $65 Million Funding Opportunity for Connected Communities and Smart Charge Management: Connected Communities 2.0 will offer up to $65 million to validate grid-edge technology innovations in real-world situations and provide new tools for utilities, grid planners and operators, automakers and smart charge management service providers, and the communities they serve. The FOA features two major topics: (1) Connected Communities, focused on grid edge technical measures in buildings, industry, and transportation to prepare the electric grid for these new loads, and improve the customer benefits and grid resilience; and (2) Smart Charge Management, focused on various unique urban, suburban, and rural use cases to build confidence in it as an effective approach for electric vehicles to provide flexibility and value to the electric grid. Required concept papers are due Aug. 20, 2024, and full applications are due Oct. 10, 2024. Link to the FOA and associated materials is here.

  • Recent:

    • The CalFlexHub Symposium 2024 was held on September 24, 2024, featuring updates on CalFlexHub’s portfolio of projects, information on the latest policies, research, and developments in load flexibility as well as presentations from leaders in the space and keynotes from the California Energy Commission and U.S. Department of Energy. Slides and recordings are available here.

    • NASEO-NARUC Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB) Working Groups Forum: RMI Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Flipbook - September 4, 2024: Mary Tobin, RMI discussed the recent RMI VPP Flipbook that highlights key design elements and lessons to help utilities and states to implement effective VPPs. The Flipbook showcases various technologies, utility participation models, compensation approaches, and third-party partnership roles. The Forum also had presentations from Yoh Kawanami from Hawaiian Electric and Amy Findlay from Eversource on their relevant utility programs and approaches. A recording is available here.

    • Murphy, et al. (LBNL), The State of Demand Flexibility Programs and Rates (August 2024) - This report provides foundational data on programs and rates that promote demand flexibility in residential and commercial buildings in the United States. Drawing on data from 148 programs and 93 rates, the report describes the structure of demand flexibility events, types and level of incentives, and offers additional detail and outcomes for some programs. The report also reports on dynamic, technology, and related rates features.

    • Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) Webinar: VPPs in the Heartland: How VPPs are Impacting the Midwest – July 30, 2024: This webinar discusses VPP drivers and barriers in the Midwest, scalability and replicability in the region, and lessons offered from other parts of the country. Recording available via here.

    • NARUC, NASEO, RMI: Aggregated Distributed Energy Resources in 2024: The Fundamentals, July 2024 - This report builds upon existing literature and leading examples of ADER pricing and programs in practice to equip commissioners and staff at Public Utilities Commissions and State Energy Offices with the fundamentals of ADER grid services, valuation options, and approaches to compensation.

    • Flex Coalition and RMI webinar on VPPs and home energy rebates – June 13, 2024: RMI Virtual Power Plant Partnership (VP3) and The Flex Coalition webinar discussed the intersection of VPPs and the IRA’s Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) provisions. Recording and slides available here.
    • RMI VPP Flipbook is a collection of VPP case studies highlighting key program design elements and takeaways to help utilities and other stakeholders implement efficient and impactful VPP programs.  The VPPs included in the flipbook showcase a variety of technologies, utility participation models, compensation frameworks, and third-party partnership roles to demonstrate the versatility of existing VPPs. The supporting VPP Comparison Matrix consolidates information from the Flipbook to allow the user to filter for VPPs most applicable to their needs.
    • NASEO-NARUC Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB) and NASEO Industrial Working Groups Joint Forum: Industrial Demand Flexibility - June 11, 2024: This Forum focused on industrial demand flexibility and load management to save money, lower emissions, and reduce grid stresses from industrial operations. Dr. Kody Powell (Intermountain Industrial Assessment Center and University of Utah) and Dr. Blake Billings (Oak Ridge National Lab) presented Working Smarter, Not Harder: Opportunities and Challenges for Industrial Demand Response to Support the Grid and Ilia Krupenich and Akruti Gupta of the California Energy Commission (CEC) presented Industrial Energy Innovation in California highlighting industrial load flexibility opportunities and programs in California.
    • NASEO-NARUC Microgrids and NASEO Rural Working Groups Joint Webinar: Improving Energy Resilience with Rural and Remote Microgrids (May 7, 2024) (Recording, Slides)
    • Resources and Assistance for State Energy Offices and Regulators Program is funded DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy and Office of Electricity to provide high-impact technical assistance and resources at scales and intervals that are responsive to State Energy Office and Public Utility Commission needs through multi-modal support options. It is designed to be responsive to a rapidly changing regulatory and policy landscape that seeks to match the timing and depth of questions with National Laboratory subject matter experts (SME) on key topical areas. This program augments and complements current technical assistance activities undertaken by various DOE program offices.
    • RMI, under its Virtual Power Plant Partnership VP3 banner, held a webinar on April 9 on its recently published VPP policy principles. The webinar recording and slides are available on RMI’s website.
    • NASEO-NARUC Virtual Workshop Series: Aggregated Distributed Energy Resources (ADER) Hot Topics webinar series under the complementary DER Integration and Compensation Initiative.
      • Workshop 1: Leveraging Federal Funding for ADERs, March 26 - about federal funding opportunities for aggregated DERs, how to leverage them, and create an action plan for your jurisdiction. View Recording View Presentation
      • Workshop 2: ADER Interconnection, April 4 – about policies and regulations to enable and accelerate aggregated DER interconnection. Participants will discuss actions that can support ADER interconnection, such as data sharing, process improvements, and policies that support equitable cost allocation. (Recording and presentation pending.)
      • Workshop 3: Integrated Distribution System Planning for ADERs, May 1, 2024, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET - focus on policies and actions to support coordinated integrated distribution system planning that can enable aggregated DERs to provide grid services and meet customer needs. Register here.
    • March 14 U.S. DOE Deep Dive Webinar on the Pathways to Commercial Liftoff VPP report recording is posted.
    • NASEO-NARUC Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB) and Microgrids State Working Groups Joint Webinar: Demand Flexibility and Electrified Transportation - February 1, 2024: This joint webinar of the NASEO-NARUC GEB and Microgrids State Working Groups explored opportunities for electrified transportation integrated with other distributed energy resources (DERs) to provide grid services and support resilience through demand flexibility and vehicle-to-grid (V2G)/vehicle-to-everything (V2X) functionality. Amy McGuire of Highland Electric Fleets (presentation) discussed school bus electrification, including work with Montgomery Co. (MD) on what will be the nation’s largest EV school bus fleet and its piloting of V2G applications. Jeremy Berke of the Washington State Department of Commerce (presentation) discussed the state’s Clean Energy Fund and Grid Modernization Program. Scott Gibson of the Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) (presentation) discussed the utility’s Arlington Microgrid V2G Demonstration Project that incorporates solar generation, battery storage, and V2G charging for the PUD’s EV fleet. (Recording)     

    • American Council of an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE): Johnson, A., A. Fraser, and D. York (2024) Enabling Industrial Demand FlexibilityAligning Industrial Consumer and Grid Benefits calls on industry, utilities, and states to prepare for increasing loads by investing in strategies and technologies that enable demand flexibility, the ability of industrial facilities to adjust their energy consumption in response to grid conditions. 

    • NASEO-NARUC DER Integration and Compensation initiative webinars:

    • Guidehouse, Alternative Aggregated DER Participation Methods for US Grids Are Still Needed: FERC Order 2222 Is a Good First Step, but Additional Work Remains (4Q 2023) - This report discusses DER adoption and grid service potential of aggregated DER portfolios in the United States. It also outlines FERC Order 2222 goals, barriers to aggregated DER wholesale market participation, and discusses and offers recommendations on alternative grid participation methods for aggregated DERs.

    • Illinois Commerce Commission: Investigation Into The Value Of, And Compensation For, Distributed Energy Resources (illinois.gov) - Workshop Series 1 presentations and recordings, Workshop Series 2 upcoming.

    • Liu, et al. (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), Factors Influencing Building Demand Flexibility (December 2023)

    • Connecticut Innovative Energy Solutions (IES) Program: On December 13, 2023 PURA announced selection of seven Cycle 1 projects focused on demand flexibility. The application period for Cycle 2 Empowering Electrification in Connecticut opened on January 1. 2024. See the IES online portal for more information and direct questions to info@ct-ies.com.

    • ASHRAE Grid-Interactive Buildings for Decarbonization: Design and Operation Resource Guide  (November 2023) released (link to the presentation slides from September 20, 2023 NASEO-NARUC GEB Working Group Forum on this can be found here).

    • DOE Releases New Report on Pathways to Commercial Liftoff for Virtual Power Plants (VPPs)

    • LBNL and the Brattle Group, U.S. Building Sector Decarbonization Scenarios to 2050 includes extensive consideration of demand flexibility as well as efficiency and electrification measures.

    • From the NASEO-NARUC Microgrids Working Group: State Microgrid Policy, Programmatic, and Regulatory Framework and view an online interactive version (and news release)

    • DOE Better Buildings Alliance Renewables Integration GEB-related resources.

    • See also NARUC-NASEO DER-Integration & Compensation Initiative

    • See also reports from the parallel NASEO-NARUC Microgrids State Working Group.

 

GEB Working Group Technical Assistance calls and resources (participation limited to Working Group states, contact geb@naseo.org for information):

 

NASEO documents/resources

 

U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. General Services Administration, SEE Action Network, National Laboratories

 

State and Regionally Focused 

 

Other resources

  • NARUC, NASEO, RMI: Aggregated Distributed Energy Resources in 2024: The Fundamentals, July 2024 - This report builds upon existing literature and leading examples of ADER pricing and programs in practice to equip commissioners and staff at Public Utilities Commissions and State Energy Offices with the fundamentals of ADER grid services, valuation options, and approaches to compensation.

  • Virtual Power Plant Partnership (VP3), led by RMI with private sector partners, is dedicated to understanding the opportunities—and challenges—of the VPP market, including the roles that DERs and demand flexibility can play in decarbonizing and stabilizing the grid.

RMI VPP Flipbook

RMI VPP Policy Principles

RMI Virtual Power Plants, Real Benefits report

Flex Coalition and RMI webinar on VPPs and home energy rebates (June 13, 2024)

 

NASEO, NARUC, and Associated Webinars and Forums

Other Webinars and Events

Meeting presentations

 

NASEO and State RFI comments