The proposed decision from ALJ Stevens illustrates increasing scrutiny on utility proposals to own emerging distribution grid technologies like energy storage, microgrids, vehicle chargers and more.
In this case, California’s three large investor-owned utilities proposed projects to meet AB 2868, a 2016 law that directed the procurement of up to 500 MW of distributed storage split among them.
The proposals are multi-faceted, but each contain an opportunity for utility-owned storage facilities in front of customer meters. San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), for instance, proposed seven utility-owned microgrids across its service area to enhance resilience and provide local resource adequacy.
