Case Study
Developing a Comprehensive Distributed Generation Strategy for West Coast Utility
Developing a comprehensive Distributed Generation strategy for a West Coast utility—including an implementation plan and supporting models with a heavy emphasis on renewables and grid operations
Client Situation
Government mandates require our client to meet future demand requirements from AMI-enabled customer-sited renewable, distributed generation technologies.
To ensure that they could economically and reliably meet this mandate, the client retained Bridge to develop a distributed generation strategy that could facilitate DG adoption up to 10% of current load.
Approach
- Assessed customer needs and requirements
- Evaluated technical potential by segment for key DG technologies
- Conducted market research and customer interviews to assess customer needs regarding DG
- Constructed future DG adoption profiles under various scenarios
- Assessed impact of distributed generation on the integrated resource plan (supply and demand)
- Developed generation profiles for each DG technology
- Assessed energy and capacity value through least cost dispatch modeling
- Refined IRP strategy considering DG, DSM and other supply-side options
- Determined transmission & distribution requirements and impacts
- Evaluated T&D enhancements required to support DG
- Assessed customer and utility-sited DG impact on system planning
- Developed capital and O&M budgets regarding T&D impacts
- Formulated business models to best position DG and achieve company and community goals
- Profiled alternative business model options regarding DG
- Assessed key stakeholder implications of each alternative business model
- Performed financial modeling of alternative business models (various adoption scenarios)
- Developed regulatory and policy strategy
- Developed strategies for regulatory and policy approaches to support DG
- Modeled economic impact associated with various regulatory policy scenarios
- Developed strategy and plan to build public support
Results
Recommendations have been well received by executives and key customers, with plans being developed for implementation.