Mar 12, 2019   SOURCE: BusinessWire

EnerNex Selected to Work with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio in Support of its Grid Modernization Efforts

EnerNex, a CESI company, today announced it has been selected by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) as the technical consultant to advise the PUCO staff and to facilitate the Data & Modern Grid Workgroup (DWG) and the Distribution System Planning Workgroup (PWG).

In launching the PowerForward initiative, the PUCO has placed itself at the forefront of defining the changes in regulatory policy as well as the technologies and processes employed by utilities and their relationship with customers, whose role is transforming from an energy user to an energy market participant. The recently released document, PowerForward: Roadmap to Ohio’s Electricity Future, summarizes the path forward.

These two workgroups will address specific tasks articulated in the PowerForward Roadmap and will build upon the collaborative process of the PowerForward initiative.

The DWG will focus on the technologies that will allow customers to obtain real-time or near real-time access to energy data through the connection of qualified home area network devices and the customers’ smart meter. This workgroup will also seek to define a secure methodology that would extend this data to competitive retail energy service providers and other third-party providers.

The PWG is charged with exploring issues surrounding an integrated distribution system planning process. This includes the beneficial siting of energy storage, the mechanisms and technologies required for conducting hosting capacity analysis, interconnection standards, and functionalities for advanced inverters. It will also explore the proper approach to the consideration and procurement of non-wires alternatives, and necessary portals to communicate key market and distribution grid planning information to customers.

“The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has taken a leadership position by fostering collaboration among stakeholders,” said EnerNex CEO Jeff Lamoree. “We applaud the PUCO for their vision, dedication and actions that leverage technology advancements, embrace change and stimulate innovation. These are the foundations of an effective grid modernization effort.”

The DWG kick-off meeting was held Tuesday, March 5, and set the foundation and baseline for future workgroup sessions. Please visit this website for more information about the DWG meeting series and updates as the group convenes.

The PWG will hold its kick-off meeting on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The primary focus of this initial meeting will be educational, establishing a baseline understanding of distribution resource planning within the context of grid modernization. Please visit this website for more information on the upcoming meeting.

On August 29, 2018, the PUCO issued PowerForward: A Roadmap to Ohio’s Electricity Future. The PowerForward Roadmap envisions the future electric distribution grid as a secure, open-access platform that will give customers more control over how they consume electricity, and allow customers to adopt innovative applications of their choosing as they are introduced on the market.

For more information, contact: Matt Schilling, 614.466.7750.

About EnerNex

EnerNex, a CESI company, is a leader in providing engineering, consulting, and research services to the electric power industry worldwide. Founded in 2003, the company is focused on helping our clients understand, adopt and leverage new and emerging electric power technologies to advance a cleaner, smarter energy system of the future.

To learn more about CESI, a world-leading innovation, technical consulting and engineering company for the electric power sector, visit: www.cesi.it.

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