A new report from the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center says that among the top grid modernization developments in the fourth quarter of 2018 were energy storage studies published in several states and the New York Public Service Commission formally adopting an energy storage goal of 3,000 megawatts by 2030.
The “50 States of Grid Modernization” report’s executive summary said that energy storage studies were published in Maryland, Nevada, and North Carolina during Q4 2018.
Maryland’s study focused on policy options for expanding storage development in the state, while North Carolina’s study quantified the potential value of various storage applications and presented policy options to prepare for, facilitate, and accelerate storage deployment.
Nevada’s study determined that 700 to 1,000 MW of utility-scale battery could be deployed cost-effectively by 2030.
In New York, the PSC in December formally adopted an energy storage goal of 3,000 MW by 2030. The Commission also approved a roadmap to achieve this target. The roadmap includes competitive direct procurement, a system efficiency target, non-wires alternatives preparation, an incentive plan, a distributed energy resource data platform, and value stack tariff refinement.
The other three top trends listed by the center for the fourth quarter were the filing of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order 841 compliance plans by grid operators, investor-owned utility Duke Energy seeking approval for a grid improvement plan in South Carolina and the Ohio Public Utilities Commission opening three new grid modernization dockets.
In the fourth quarter of 2018, 39 states plus the District of Columbia took a total of 280 policy and deployment actions related to grid modernization, utility business model and rate reform, energy storage, microgrids, and demand response, the report said.
Of the 280 actions catalogued, the most common were related to policies (58), followed by deployment (52), and planning and market access (52).
Report also details 2018 trends
The report’s executive summary also outlined what it said were the top grid modernization trends for all of 2018.
It said those trends were:
- States and utilities undertaking distribution system planning efforts
- States studying the value of energy storage and policy options
- Regulators rejecting and scaling back utility grid modernization proposals
- Growing movement toward performance-based regulation
- Utilities seeking special ratemaking treatment for grid investments
- States concluding grid modernization investigations and identifying next steps
- States establishing clear standards for energy storage interconnection
- Regulators considering rules for access to customer usage data
- Utilities proposing AMI opt-out tariffs and fees; and
- Wholesale market operators revising rules to expand energy storage participation
In 2018, 44 states plus DC took a total of 460 policy and deployment actions related to grid modernization, utility business model and rate reform, energy storage, microgrids, and demand response, the report said.
Of the 460 actions catalogued, the most common were related to policies (113), followed by deployment (81), and planning and market access (78).
The executive summary is available here.
