quick links to publications:

• It’s Time for States to Get Smart About Smart Inverters

• Transmission Planning Protocol: Leveraging Technology to Optimize Existing Infrastructure

• The Role of Distributed Energy Resources in New Jersey’s Clean Energy Transition

• Storage as a Transmission Asset: 2018 Progress & Report Card

• Alternative Transmission Solutions: A Roadmap to the CAISO Transmission Planning Process

• Alternative Transmission Solutions

• Energy Storage Misconceptions

• DC MEDSIS Filing

Authors: Kerinia Cusick, Harry Warren, Versha Rangaswamy

October, 2019

Written for state electricity regulators and their staffs, this paper outlines six recommendations to implement smart inverters and to help states reach clean energy goals:

1.     Start now and develop implementation plans: Launch stakeholder processes now in order to be ready for new inverter capabilities in late 2021.

2.     Plan for high penetration: There is no additional cost to enable functionality that will be built into inverters starting in 2021, it is better to enable functionality before it is needed than to require retrofits.

3.     Allow stakeholder participation: Stakeholders such as DER providers, DER Management System (DERMS) companies, DER aggregators, customer advocates, and others should be allowed to participate in setting new standards.

4.     Provide guidance: If Commissioners can articulate objectives and a timeline, it will provide stakeholders with direction.

5.     Maintain standardization: The majority of interconnection applications should continue to fall under quick, low cost, standard, state-wide processes and not require expensive studies, new communication solutions, or bespoke inverter settings.

6. Collaborate with bulk power system operators: State commissions may need to collaborate with operators of transmission and bulk power systems (e.g. ISO/RTOs where applicable) to implement ride-through capability

Authors: Kerinia Cusick, Jon Wellinghoff, Lorenzo Kristov

August, 2019

Transmission planning and development is stuck in the late 20th century. The standard solution to a new transmission need is to string a transmission line or to keep an aging power plant running. The U.S. cannot afford this – neither the cost of building new transmission lines which is continuously increasing, nor the roadblock this approach presents to our transition to cleaner, cheaper sources of electricity. There is another option. Namely, using current day technologies to increase the efficiency of the existing transmission infrastructure. FERC already has the legislative mandate to encourage the deployment of Advanced Transmission Technologies (which includes dynamic line rating, flow control, energy storage, distributed resources, load control). This paper outlines four specific recommendations for FERC action to modernize transmission planning, lower costs for ratepayers, and support the transition to clean, low cost generation.

Authors: Gridworks, GridLabs, Center for Renewables Integration

A clean energy transformation is underway in New Jersey. Led by Governor Phil Murphy, the Garden State will finalize its 2019 Energy Master Plan, which aims to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050.

This paper concludes that distributed energy resources (DER) can and must play a key role in realizing the goal of 100% clean energy for New Jersey. DER can provide new services to utilities and customers, and also complement large-scale renewable energy resources. DER include small renewable generators such as distributed solar, storage, energy efficiency, demand response, and electric vehicles.

Authors: Kerinia Cusick, Jon Wellinghoff, Lorenzo Kristov

February, 2019

In the 2017/2018 transmission plan, CAISO selected a combination of energy storage, load control and distributed generation, in lieu of a wires-based transmission line, as the most cost effective solution to meet a transmission need. These projects are Alternative Transmission Solutions (ATS). They’re designed to fulfill a transmission need, and compensated as such.

An ATS can be single-use, in that it is used 100% of the time to provide transmission services. Or, as envisioned by FERC, it can be dual-use, providing both transmission services and participating in markets. CAISO set out to define the rules for dual-use in 2018, in their Storage as a Transmission Asset (SATA) stakeholder process.

This report summarizes the lessons learned from CAISO’s SATA process – where the ISO and stakeholders were able to make progress, and the problems we encountered. It also includes the first single and dual-use “scorecard” – highlighting the issues critical to making these projects work, and providing a qualitative ranking.

Authors: Jon Wellinghoff, Kerinia Cusick, Lorenzo Kristov, Ernesto Enriquez

March, 2018

The objective of this work is to enable the use of technologies such as distributed generation, energy storage and load control to be selected, compensated and used as transmission assets when they are found to be more effective and efficient solutions to transmission system needs. This report builds on previous analysis of relevant FERC regulations and the Federal Power Act (FPA), published in November, 2017.

The objective of this report is twofold. The first is to understand CAISO's transmission planning process and limitation or constraints that lead the ISO towards selecting traditional "wires-based" solutions. The second is to identify adjustments required to enable new processes that augment CAISO's options and allow the ISO to select alternative such as renewable distributed generation, energy storage and load control, all of which fall into the category of preferred resources in California. 

An Analysis of the Emerging Business Opportunity for Advanced Transmission Technologies and FERC-Driven Requirements on Transmission Planning and Selection

Authors: Jon Wellinghoff & Kerinia Cusick.

November 2017

This analysis is written to help transmission planning break out of the past by:

• Informing interested parties of the emerging business opportunity to propose alternative transmission solutions in ISO/RTO transmission planning proceedings;

• Analyzing the Federal Power Act and FERC regulations that require review of those alternatives and authorize ISO/RTOs to choose and compensate cost-effective advanced transmission technologies for transmission services; and

• Identify remaining areas of policy ambiguity and support stakeholders, FERC, ISO/RTOs, and state commission staff working on these issues.

Link to webinar recording is available here. 

June 12, 2017

Cost-competitive energy storage is viewed as a "game changer" in the electricity generation, transmission and distribution industries. As such, grid-connected storage is getting an increasing amount of attention from legislators and regulators. At the same time, there’s a lot of confusion surrounding energy storage. CRI works with policy makers and we frequently find ourselves answering questions about technological maturity of energy storage, its applicability, and economic competitiveness. This white paper is designed to clarify a few of the common misperceptions that we’ve encountered, specifically questions surrounding cost, commercial availability, cost competitiveness.

April 10, 2017

The District of Columbia Commission launched an effort in 2015 to modernize the distribution energy delivery system for increased sustainability (MEDSIS). Commission Staff issued a report in 2017, identifying potential barriers requiring Commission action and laying out recommendations for the use of the MEDSIS Pilot Project Fund ($21.55M). CRI's filing suggests changes to a few definitions, priorities for the use of MEDSIS fund resources, and identifies additional issues for Commission consideration in order to host high levels of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) on the DC grid.