Commercial, Distributed Energy Resources, Industrial, Utilities, Distributed Generation  -  August 14, 2017

NY launches portal to connect businesses, utilities

A mile marker within New York's "Reforming the Energy Vision" initiative, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, known as NYSERDA, has launched a digital portal meant to help businesses connect with electric utilities "to partner and create business models and deploy advanced energy technologies."

The portal, called "REV Connect," seeks to advance state's work to build a "clean, resilient and affordable energy system."

REV Connect provides a central location where third parties can learn about the opportunities created by New York's efforts to change the way energy is created, consumed and delivered, NYSERDA said in an Aug. 10 statement. Businesses can submit responsive ideas for feedback and technical support, and be potentially matched with New York State investor-owned utilities to pursue innovative partnerships. The new business partnerships are intended to be self-sustaining initiatives that will activate markets and become part of the emerging clean and resilient energy system with the goal to lower costs and give customers greater choices.

"REV Connect is another innovative building block created to support Gov. Cuomo's ambitious energy agenda and create a clean energy economy," New York State Chairman of Energy and Finance Richard Kauffman said in a statement. "REV Connect will help third parties and utilities navigate the new energy landscape in New York to catalyze innovation, support new utility business and revenue models and advance the state's leadership in modernizing its energy system and addressing climate change affordably and smartly.”

REV Connect will help build on recent developments that have shown the promise that innovative business structures can bring through:

• A growing list of REV demonstration projects;
• Nonwires alternatives, such as Consolidated Edison's Brooklyn-Queens Demand Management project, that avoid costly construction of new grid assets in favor of customer-sited clean energy solutions;
• NY Prize community microgrid projects; and
• Distributed System Implementation Plans, or DSIPs, developed by utilities to present their five-year plans to modernize grid operations, system planning and markets, with the integration of distributed energy resources.

According to NYSERDA, 19 REV demonstration projects across the state are underway. These projects focus on testing new business models that also provide more value to customers as utilities and private companies develop projects to explore the most effective ways to use distributed energy resources such as energy storage, rooftop solar, and microgrids.

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