Accelerating the Integration of New Co-located Generation and Loads
Prepared for Bloom Energy
This report, “Accelerating Integration of New Co‑located Generation and Loads,” proposes that US system operators implement new Energy Park grid integration processes to reduce costs and speed up large load interconnections.
These “Energy Parks” would be large micro-grids consisting of three elements: load, co-located generation that is capable of self-supplying the load, and a physical control mechanism that limits net exchanges with the grid to available grid capacity.
Creating a process to facilitate the integration of Energy Parks that can control their interactions with the grid offers substantial benefits, including:
- Accelerates the integration of large new loads, such as domestic manufacturing facilities and data centers for artificial intelligence
- Significantly reduces the need for new transmission (by limiting grid exchanges to available capacity)
- Addresses resource adequacy challenges (by pairing large new loads with co-located new generation)
- Protects existing consumers from costly and time-consuming generation and grid investments
The report was prepared by Senior Consultant Andrew Levitt, Principal Johannes Pfeifenberger, and Energy Associate Aniruddh Mohan.
