The Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities will participate in a U.S. Department of Energy Clean Energy to Communities peer-learning cohort to support grid modernization and resiliency within the Los Alamos County electric production and distribution systems.
Over six months, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and World Resources Institute will convene 37 entities across 23 states and Tribal entities in three separate peer-learning cohorts to learn from each other and energy experts about best practices for addressing common energy goals.
Each peer-learning cohort starts in January, and the three cohort topics in this cycle are Planning for Microgrids, Distributed Wind in Rural and Agricultural Communities, and Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technologies in Appalachia.
New Mexico-based Los Alamos County DPU is participating in the Planning for Microgrids cohort. This cohort will cover the types and scales of microgrids, the basics of how they work, the costs and benefits, and funding and procurement strategies.
Cohort members will:
- Learn from, and exchange ideas with, other participants while receiving assistance and support from national lab subject matter experts
- Access tools and strategies to conduct community engagement to align microgrid projects with community resilience priorities
- Share experiences and approaches for working with varying regulatory and utility situations
- Learn how to maximize microgrid benefits by exploring site characteristics, technology designs, electrical performance goals, and financial considerations
“Los Alamos has a unique and challenging electric system because we both produce and distribute our own electricity. These microgrids would help supplement the county’s electrification transition,” said Steve Horner, associate engineer with DPU’s Electric Production and Electric Distribution divisions.
Participation in this program will let DPU question and learn from organizations that are in various stages of implementing microgrids.
DPU is working on a solution to expand local generation sources and to build resiliency in supporting the community during times of energy strain.
The recently adopted Climate Action Plan, the Board of Public Utilities’ Strategic Goals and Initiatives, and the Integrated Resource Plan between Los Alamos County and the Los Alamos National Laboratory support grid modernization, and microgrids would be a tool in that toolbox.
Clean Energy to Communities connects local governments, Tribes, electric utilities, and community-based organizations with national laboratory experts and customized, cutting-edge analysis to achieve clean energy systems that are reflective of local and regional priorities.
C2C fosters community-led innovation with tailored support, from goal setting and project development to technology deployment.
