Developing and Implementing the Foundation for a Renewable Energy-Based "Distribution Generation Micro-grid": A California Energy Commission Public Interest Energy Research Co-Funded Program

Abstract

The California Energy Commission has been implementing its Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) and Renewable Energy Programs since early 1998. In the last two years, the demand for renewable distributed generation systems has increased rapidly in response to a variety of factors, including: media attention to occasional lack of power supply, highly fluctuating West Coast electric wholesale prices, unprecedented public- and investor-owned utility retail rate increases, occasional rolling blackouts since late 2000, a utility bankruptcy proceeding, and a general level of regulatory uncertainty not experienced for some time now. This paper presents the key aspects and focus of some exciting new energy research, development and demonstration efforts to be conducted over the next three and a half years by Commonwealth Energy Corporation, CH2MHill, Regional Economic Research, Inc. and numerous other energy firms.