MIT Energy Initiative report provides guidance for evolving electric power sector
Distributed energy resources — relatively small-scale power technologies such as solar, wind, energy storage, and power electronics and control devices — are being deployed rapidly in the global shift toward a low-carbon energy future. To ensure that both distributed and centralized energy resources are integrated efficiently, however, electric power systems in the U.S., Europe, and other parts of the world need major regulatory, policy, and market overhauls, says an in-depth report, “Utility of the Future,” released today by the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI). The report was developed in collaboration with the Institute for Research in Technology at Comillas Pontifical University (IIT-Comillas). “There are great opportunities to deploy distributed energy resources where they will be most cost-effective and impactful, and also to scale up new information and communications technologies that can provide greater flexibility, control, and cost savings for power businesses and consumers alike,” says Robert C. Armstrong, MITEI’s director and the...