ScottMadden, Inc., one of North America’s leading energy consulting firms, recently joined forces with the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) to participate in a discussion about state frameworks for grid modernization at the Annual Mid-America Regulatory Conference (MARC). During the event, Cristin Lyons, partner and grid transformation practice leader at ScottMadden, and Vazken Kassakhian, analyst at SEPA, reviewed their joint report focused on the ways Illinois is transforming its grid to accommodate a variety of resources.
What is the current state of the electricity market in Illinois? How have these legislative initiatives led to transformation in the electricity market? Have they resulted in a modernized grid and utilities that are flexible and ready for growth in distributed energy resources (DERs)? This report shares an overview of Illinois’ technology investments and policy framework, a 51st State assessment of Illinois’ grid transformation progress, and a framework to assess progress across states.
Illinois has laid an excellent foundation that positions it well for modernization of the grid and increasing penetrations of DERs and renewables. When DERs arrive at scale, the state will be ready.
“Illinois is an important example of the advances states can make to prepare for a diverse resource mix. It provides a road map for other jurisdictions as they prepare for more renewables, increasing energy efficiency and other DERs,” said Ms. Lyons.
“Illinois is an exciting state to watch because there are dramatic developments across all major aspects of grid transformation,” said Mr. Kassakhian. “With the potential influx of customer-sited resources, utilities will have more opportunities to manage these resources to yield value for the customer and back to the grid. Illinois presents a compelling model for states to think through and plan for grid transformation initiatives.”
To view ScottMadden and SEPA’s complimentary white paper in full, please click here.
About Smart Electric Power Alliance
The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) is an educational non-profit and a trusted platform for education, research and collaboration to help utilities deploy and integrate solar, storage, demand response, and other distributed energy resources. Created in 1992, we currently have over 1,000 members who represent the whole spectrum of industry stakeholders. Utilities, ISOs, large energy users, corporate and non-profits look to us to facilitate solutions for today’s challenges and to meet tomorrow’s electricity needs for the next decade and beyond. For more information, visit www.solarelectricpower.org | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn
About ScottMadden’s Grid Transformation Practice
For more than 30 years, ScottMadden has helped our clients transform the way they operate, plan, and maintain the grid and interact with their customers. The Grid Transformation practice focuses on helping clients adapt to the myriad changes driven by the increasing penetration of distributed energy resources, such as distributed generation, storage, demand response, and microgrids. We help our clients choose the path that meets their reliability, customer, and regulatory goals, and then we help them implement it.
About ScottMadden, Inc.
ScottMadden is the management consulting firm that does what it takes to get it done right. Our practice areas include Energy, Clean Tech & Sustainability, Corporate & Shared Services, and Grid Transformation. We deliver a broad array of consulting services ranging from strategic planning through implementation across many industries, business units, and functions. To learn more, visit www.scottmadden.com | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn
###
Media contact:
Mary Tew
919-714-7628