Citizen lobbying of state PUCs and legislators is probably the most effective way to make change. Some states are already taking action. California, for instance, appears to be moving toward approving interconnection requests in clusters. What will motivate change most are concerns around energy security and cost. States with energy reliability issues have an interest in stabilizing the grid with supplemental energy sources. Similarly, some states are anticipating spikes in electricity demand due to energy hungry developments such as data centers. No one wants to drive up electricity costs by using more expensive, older power plants to meet that need. Citizens should emphasize these points when contacting regulators and legislators.
Thanks for this interesting post, Michael. Is there anything ordinary people can do to help accelerate reliable interconnections?
Citizen lobbying of state PUCs and legislators is probably the most effective way to make change. Some states are already taking action. California, for instance, appears to be moving toward approving interconnection requests in clusters. What will motivate change most are concerns around energy security and cost. States with energy reliability issues have an interest in stabilizing the grid with supplemental energy sources. Similarly, some states are anticipating spikes in electricity demand due to energy hungry developments such as data centers. No one wants to drive up electricity costs by using more expensive, older power plants to meet that need. Citizens should emphasize these points when contacting regulators and legislators.