Using Energy Efficiency to Help Meet Distribution System Capacity Needs

Guillermo Pereira presented at the 2023 ACEEE Energy Efficiency as a Resource conference on using energy efficiency to help meet distribution system capacity needs. Utilities in New York, California, Michigan, and Minnesota are using energy efficiency as a non-wires alternative to traditional investments to meet some of their distribution system capacity needs. They geotarget their energy efficiency programs or solicit third-party solutions to proactively reduce the need for distribution system upgrades in locations facing future capacity constraints. Utilities can also conduct systematic studies of the locational value of energy efficiency and other distributed resources to better understand where to target them to reduce distribution costs. These studies can become a routine and transparent part of the distribution planning process. The presentation covers state objectives for distribution system planning and current practices for assessing local grid needs and solutions considering energy efficiency as a non-wires alternative.