Today on the Clean Power Hour, we’re joined by Craig Lewis, founder and executive director of the Clean Coalition, to discuss the advent of community-scale microgrids. These microgrids are a great way to provide resiliency to power outages at the scale of tens of thousands of users and typically provide off-grid operation for key infrastructure like hospitals, community centers and schools as well as many local residents. Their ground breaking work allows utilities to invest in microgrid infrastructure (wind, solar and batteries) instead of typical transmission and distribution infrastructure. We cover the origins of the Clean Coalition, community microgrids, and how local leaders and utilities can implement resilient energy systems.
The Clean Coalition was established in 2009 following the Enron scandal that rocked California grids. “The Clean Coalition has had significant impact shaping policies and programs that enable the deployment of clean local energy to address climate change and secure economic, environmental, and resilience benefits for communities. Through cutting-edge programs, policies, and initiatives, we have helped bring nearly 3 gigawatts of clean local energy online — enough to provide peak power to nearly 3 million American homes.”
The Coalition has many accomplishments including:
Designed and implemented Feed-In Tariff (FIT) programs across the United States, from California to Indiana to Vermont, bringing hundreds of megawatts (MW) of local renewable energy online.
Established precedent-setting interconnection policy in California, which was adopted by federal energy regulators as a new national standard, making it quicker and cheaper to connect clean local energy projects to the grid.
Issued studies that influenced major decisions under California regulatory bodies to stall and stop construction in Southern California of gas plants in favor of solar+storage solutions.
Led the creation of California’s innovative Distribution Resources Planning proceeding, which requires the state’s largest utilities to proactively plan for — and deploy — distributed energy resources (DER), such as local renewables and energy storage.
Shaped New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision proceeding and received one of the first five NY Prize Community Microgrid Competition grants for our Long Island Community Microgrid Project.
We explore the mechanics of community microgrids, which integrate local solar, storage, and load management to keep critical infrastructure running when the broader grid goes down. Craig outlines the trifecta of economic, environmental, and resilience benefits microgrids provide.
With decades of experience across wireless telecommunications and renewable energy, Craig provides unique insight into transitioning our energy system. He shares details on the Clean Coalition’s solar microgrid projects across the country and making microgrids accessible for communities nationwide.
This conversation offers a comprehensive look at how distributed energy and microgrids can transform electric reliability and resilience. It provides tactical advice for policymakers and community leaders pursuing next-generation energy solutions.
KeyTakeaways
What is a community microgrid and how does it work?
What are the benefits of developing community microgrids?
How can cities, counties, and states implement microgrids through policy innovation?
What are the challenges and solutions for getting utilities on board with microgrids?
How do microgrids provide energy resilience during emergencies and natural disasters?
What is the Clean Coalition's Resilient Energy Subscription (RES) and how does it facilitate microgrids?
Connect with Craig Lewis
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