Optimal Demand Response in Virtual Power Plant Using Local/Global Service Providers in Interaction with Energy Storage Systems

Recently, there has been a substantial increase in the adoption of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) within power systems. Additionally, traditional fossil-fuel automobiles are progressively being substituted by electric vehicles. As the incorporation of RES in supplying aspects and Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) on the load side rises, a heightened variability emerges in the power system’s operations. This research introduces an innovative framework for Virtual Storage Plants (VSP) designed to amalgamate the repository capabilities of PEVs into energy grids. The proposed VSP consists of intelligent points for recharging a Parking Lot Aggregator (PLA), a Local Service Provider (LSP), and a Global …

50 States of Virtual Power Plants & Supporting Distributed Energy Resources

The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC), in partnership with the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), is pleased to present the 50 States of Virtual Power Plant and Supporting Distributed Energy Resources: 2024 State Policy Snapshot. This first-of-its-kind report provides an overview and insights on state regulatory and legislative actions related to virtual power plants (VPPs) and distributed energy resource (DER) aggregations. This report is meant to help the collective audience understand the breadth and scope of policy actions related to VPPs and DER aggregations in the United States.

By focusing on state-level actions, the intent is to develop …

Building the Future Transmission Grid

The urgency to expand and modernise the electricity transmission network infrastructure around the world is putting pressure on supply chains.

This report explores the evolving landscape of investment in electricity transmission networks and key trends related to the supply chain of key components. Based on a survey of industry stakeholders in 2024 by the International Energy Agency (IEA), it provides insights into how increasing infrastructure needs are affecting prices of components, lead times and related market dynamics.

Building on the analysis Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions, this report identifies actionable strategies to address challenges related to the supply chain …

Evaluating GHG Mitigation Potential from ESPC Projects

This report explores the impact of implemented ESPC projects on the projected greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in the U.S. buildings sector, and the associated projected annual cost savings and marginal abatement costs. It is important to investigate the role that energy retrofits can play in achieving GHG emission reduction targets given the use of ESPC by public agencies to reduce emissions from energy use in addition to the historical use of ESPC to to achieve cost/energy savings and ancillary benefits (e.g., addressing deferred maintenance, aging infrastructure, etc.). The analysis draws from LBNL’s eProject Builder (ePB) database, which contains approximately …

Moving Beyond Direct Load Control: A Maturity Model for Realizing the Promise of Demand Flexibility

This report discusses a new maturity model that regulators and utilities can use to guide and expand demand flexibility programs and enable the resources to provide more grid services. The model has six demand flexibility categories: planning and design; customer engagement; program operations; evaluation, measurement and verification; distributed energy resource orchestration; and data infrastructure. Within each category, capabilities are identified and described on a maturity scale that ranges from performing below expectations to improving on best practices. …

Strategy for Achieving a Beneficial Vehicle Grid Integration Future

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Strategy for Achieving a Beneficial VGI Future builds on DOE’s visioning document, The Future of Vehicle Grid Integration: Harnessing the Flexibility of EV Charging, describing activities DOE will undertake to support stakeholders in achieving an EV-integrated future in which EVs, including personal vehicles, commercial freight fleets and school buses, are safely and securely connected to, reliably served by, and harmonized with the electric grid. This holistic, department-wide effort was developed recognizing DOE’s key role as a convener and partner in the development and deployment of new technologies. It employs three strategies that are focused …

Improving the Efficiency of NRC Power Reactor Licensing: Environmental Reviews

Achieving net-zero emissions in the United States by mid-century requires the rapid buildout of low-carbon energy infrastructure. One challenge to this rapid buildout is the environmental reviews required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which are part of federal approval processes for new energy projects. This process has increasingly caused significant delays and added costs, and the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) of 2023 was passed by Congress in part to address these issues through amendments to NEPA that impose timelines on environmental reviews.

For nuclear power, a low-carbon energy source that has a role in many US net-zero scenarios, …

Recycling Wind Energy Systems in the United States

The primary goal of this report—which is part one of two—is to communicate findings from this assessment on how alternate materials, designs, and manufacturing processes could enable more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible disassembly and resource recovery from wind energy technologies. Part 1 (this report) establishes a baseline by assessing existing U.S. recycling infrastructure and determining whether the U.S. economy has the necessary technologies to disassemble and recycle major wind energy system components under a plausible high-deployment wind technology scenario. Part 2 (forthcoming) provides a deep-dive assessment of recovering materials from difficult-to-recycle system components, such as blades and rare earth …

Insight Brief: Key Learnings from the Executive Fact-Finding Mission to Germany

In October, a group of U.S. utility and technology executives joined SEPA’s 15th Executive Fact-Finding Mission to Germany. This trip uncovered key insights from Germany’s ambitious energy transition, known as the Energiewende. Through meetings with policymakers, industry leaders, and utilities, the delegation gained a comprehensive understanding of Germany’s strategies to decarbonize, strengthen energy security, and integrate innovative technologies. These insights provide valuable lessons for the U.S. energy sector as it navigates its own transition toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

SEPA’s Executive Fact-Finding Mission to Germany offered a unique opportunity to study the Energiewende—Germany’s decarbonization and energy transformation strategy. …

Electricity Rate Designs for Large Loads: Evolving Practices and Opportunities

Electricity demand from large load customers such as data centers is projected to grow significantly in the near term. While data centers play an important role in advancing technology innovation and economic growth in the United States, data center energy needs present challenges and opportunities for electricity supply and infrastructure. This technical brief serves as a foundation for the discussion of issues and sharing of perspectives among utilities, regulators, large load customers, and other stakeholders. As utilities and regulators explore rate structures to address growing data center electricity demand, several issues have emerged:

– Fair allocation of electricity system costs …