Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) announced on September 30, 2024, an investment of up to $50 million to fund three clean energy projects aimed at enhancing the U.S. electric grid's resilience and responsiveness. These initiatives, located in Colorado, Massachusetts, and Virginia, align with the Biden-Harris Administration's agenda to develop a more sustainable energy landscape.

The funding is part of OCED's Distributed Energy Systems (DES) Demonstrations Program, which supports scalable and replicable projects that contribute to climate resilience. As electricity demand rises due to electrification in various sectors—such as transportation and industrial operations—distributed energy resources (DERs) like solar panels and battery storage are becoming increasingly important.

The selected projects focus on improving energy reliability and resilience in disadvantaged communities. They include:

• GRID-FLEXER in Suffolk, VA: A DER management system (DERMS) that optimizes the area's current DERs to provide grid support during peak demand without expensive grid upgrades.

• Outer Cape Microgrid Optimization in Massachusetts: This project will coordinate customer-owned DERs with an existing battery energy storage system to enhance regional energy reliability.

• Prime Time Virtual Power Plant in Boulder, CO: This initiative aims to develop a virtual power plant that aggregates DERs to balance electrical loads and maximize renewable energy delivery.

Each project must implement a Community Benefits Plan, ensuring community engagement and environmental justice. The DOE will evaluate the projects through a phased approach to ensure effective implementation.

Source: energy.gov