Grid-Edge Solutions: Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings

• NASEO, "Demand Flexibility and Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings 101" (September 2022)
• NASEO, "State and Local Building Policies and Programs for Energy Efficiency and Demand Flexibility" (February 2021)
• NASEO, "Wringing More Value from Building Energy Operations and Upgrades: Monetizing Demand Flexibility in Public and Institutional Buildings" (February 2021) 
• NASEO, "Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings: State Briefing Paper" (October 2019)
• NASEO, "Roadmapping: A Tool for States to Advance Load Flexibility and Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings" (November 2019)
• NASEO, "Considerations for Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB) Pilot Projects" (December 2019)
• NASEO, "Mosaic Gardens at Pomona: An affordably priced and grid-interactive efficient apartment complex"

• DOE, Pathways to Commercial Liftoff; Virtual Power Plants 2025 Update - This update supplements but does not replace the original 2023 VPP Liftoff Report by providing additional real-world examples, new resources, and updated industry insights that support VPP deployment. (Report, factsheet)
• Resources and Assistance for State Energy Offices and Regulators Program is funded DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy and Office of Electricity to provide high-impact technical assistance and resources at scales and intervals that are responsive to State Energy Office and Public Utility Commission needs through multi-modal support options. It is designed to be responsive to a rapidly changing regulatory and policy landscape that seeks to match the timing and depth of questions with National Laboratory subject matter experts (SME) on key topical areas. This program augments and complements current technical assistance activities undertaken by various DOE program offices.
• DOE, Sourcing Distributed Energy Resources for Distributed Grid Services (December 2024) - examines the evolving role of DERs including EV charging to provide grid services for managing local distribution needs affordably. Shifting from traditional, bulk-power-focused DER use to local distribution-targeted applications is essential for deferring costly distribution infrastructure upgrades while ensuring grid reliability.
• Better Buildings Alliance Renewables Integration GEB-related resources.
  • DOE Better Buildings and Rocky Mountain Institute webinar: Identifying Cost-Effective Energy Efficiency and Load Flexibility Measures Supporting GEB Strategies - July 12, 2023:  The Better Buildings Renewables Integration Technology Research Team and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) discussed findings and recommendations from RMI's Huang, et al. (2023) Cost-Effective Grid Interactive Efficient Buildings: Potential for the WinnCompanies Portfolio on the strategic use of renewables, energy storage, and more in a multifamily building portfolio. Link to webinar slides and recording here.
• U.S. DOE, Pathways to Commercial Liftoff for Virtual Power Plants (VPPs)
• U.S. DOE, Cybersecurity Considerations for Distributed Energy Resource on the U.S. Electric Grid (October 2022) provides recommendations for the DER industry, energy sector, and government to take action and secure current and future systems. 
• U.S. DOE, A National Roadmap for Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (May 2021)
• U.S. DOE, Connected Communities (overview presentation)
• U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)
  • Profiles of demand response and time-variable pricing programs by state - GEB owners and energy service providers can financially benefit from DR and time-variable pricing that rewards certain demand reduction, shedding, and shifting operations.
  • FEMP on-demand training "Taking Advantage of Demand Response and Time-Variable Pricing Offerings" - offered via the Whole Building Design Guide at no charge but registration required. (A practical complement to NASEO's "Wringing More Value..." report on incorporating DF/GEB into building operations and upgrades.)
• U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, GEB
  • Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings: Factsheet
  • Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings: Overview
  • Connected Communities cohort kick-off meeting "Lessons From Past Connected Communities Projects" session (from November 2, 2022) -- (1) California Advanced Energy Communities; (2) Smart Neighborhoods (Southern Co. Alabama and Georgia) ; (3) AI-Driven Smart Community for Accelerating PV Adoption and Enhancing Grid Resilience (Basalt Vista Community, CO)
  • Technical reports (and related webinars)
    • Overview of Research Challenges and Gaps GEB Technical Report
    • Whole-Building Controls, Sensors, Modeling, and Analytics GEB Technical Report  (May 19, 2020 webinar slides)
    • Windows and Opaque Envelope GEB Technical Report (June 16, 2020 webinar slides)
    • HVAC, Water Heating, Appliances and Refrigeration GEB Technical Report (June 2, 2020  HVAC webinar slides; June 9, 2020 Water Heating, Appliances, Refrigeration slides)
    • Lighting and Electronics GEB Technical Report (May 26, 2020 webinar slides)
    • Integration - Building Equipment webinar (June 23, 2020 slides)
    • Integration - Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) webinar (June 30, 2020 slides)
• U.S. General Services Administration and associated
  • GSA Sustainable Buildings Tool, GEB Page 
  • GSA and Rocky Mountain Institute, Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings Made Easy: A GSA Building Manager's Guide to Low- and No-cost GEB Measures (June 2021) - September 2, 2021 news release.
  • Dean, J., et al, Blueprint for Integrating Grid-interactive Building Technologies into U.S. General Services Administration Performance Contracts (May 2021)
  • Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings in the Federal Portfolio (March 2021)
  • GSA's Proving Ground Program Selects Grid-Interactive Efficient Building Solutions for Evaluation (July 28, 2020)
  • GSA Green Building Advisory Committee: Federal Building & Grid Integration: Proposed Roadmap and Advice Letter (December 2019)
    • Integrating Public Buildings with the Grid - Ken Sandler (GSA) , February 4, 2020, NASEO Buildings Committee meeting at the 2020 NASEO Energy Policy Outlook Conference and Innovation Summit
  • Rocky Mountain Institute and U.S. General Services Administration, "Value Potential for Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings in the GSA Portfolio" (2019)
• SEE Action Network 
  • Determining Utility System Value of Demand Flexibility From Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (April 2020) - slides
  • Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings: An Introduction for State and Local Governments (April 2020)
  • Performance Assessments of Demand Flexibility from Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: Issues and Considerations (July 2020) - slides
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Electricity Markets and Policy Group
  • G. Relf, et al. (LBNL), Regulatory Sandboxes and Other Processes to Expedite Utility Adoption of Advanced Grid Technologies (June 2025)   
  • LBNL VPP and Demand Flexibility Reports (December 2024 - January 2025)
    • DER Integration Framework: Regulatory Innovation for DER Compensation and Cost Allocation - offers an illustrative technology-neutral, modular regulatory framework to enable flexibility and scalability for DER providers, utilities, and regulators. Clear price signals and incentives encourage the provision of valuable grid services, while equitable cost allocation promotes efficient use of distribution capacity and interconnection resources. 
    • Distributed Energy, Utility Scale: 30 Proven Strategies to Increase VPP Enrollment - identifies 30 proven strategies for scaling VPPs through increased enrollment. [Virtual Peaker hosted a webinar on December 12, 2024 – recap and recording access here.]
    • Virtual Power Plants: Insights, Profiles and Inventory - Insights into Scaling Virtual Power Plants report and appendix outlines actions that utilities and regulators can take to expand VPPs; the companion Virtual Power Plant Profiles and Inventory describes three conceptual profiles and includes details on more than 790 demand response programs and net energy metering solar plus battery programs, and 180 VPP programs. VPP inventory spreadsheet also available. Webinar registration here.
    • Moving Beyond Direct Load Control: A Maturity Model for Realizing the Promise of Demand Flexibility - discusses a new maturity model that regulators and utilities can use to guide and expand demand flexibility programs and enable the resources to provide more grid services. Webinar registration here.
    • State regulator opportunities to advance distributed energy resources aggregations in wholesale markets - discusses how state regulators can promote the participation of DERs in wholesale markets, including complementary actions that they can take to support Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order 2222 implementation. Webinar registration here.
  • Murphy, et al. (LBNL), The State of Demand Flexibility Programs and Rates (August 2024) - This report provides foundational data on programs and rates that promote demand flexibility in residential and commercial buildings in the United States. Drawing on data from 148 programs and 93 rates, the report describes the structure of demand flexibility events, types and level of incentives, and offers additional detail and outcomes for some programs. The report also reports on dynamic, technology, and related rates features.
  • Liu, et al. (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), Factors Influencing Building Demand Flexibility (December 2023)
  • LBNL and the Brattle Group, U.S. Building Sector Decarbonization Scenarios to 2050 includes extensive consideration of demand flexibility as well as efficiency and electrification measures.
  • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  "End-Use Load Profiles for the U.S. Building Stock: Practical Guidance on Accessing and Using the Data". End-use load profiles (EULPs) and savings shapes are  important to utilities, utility commissions, state energy offices, and stakeholders to better value DERs in utility resource planning, state and local energy planning, and programs.
  • L. Schwartz, D. Nemtzow, and N. Mims Frick, 2022, "How to Build a Connected Community: Policies to Promote Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings and Demand Flexibility" (August 2022) presented at ACEEE Summer Study.
  • LBNL Future of Energy Efficiency in Buildings: Drivers and Market Expectations summarizes identified drivers and insights about likely future attributes of building efficiency markets. Demand flexibility and time-differentiated energy savings feature significantly. A webinar held on June 30 (recording): following opening remarks from DOE, the lead author highlighted research findings and moderated a panel discussion of experts and officials. The report is oriented toward policy makers, utility regulators, utilities, the energy efficiency industry, and other stakeholders.
  • LBNL The Role of Innovation in the Electric Utility Sector  provides consumer, labor, utility, third-party provider, and clean technology consultant perspectives on innovation in the context of state regulation of utilities. Report and slides at https://emp.lbl.gov/publications/role-innovation-electric-utility
  • LBNL Time-Sensitive Value Calculator. The Calculator is a publicly available, free, Excel-based tool by Berkeley Lab that estimates the value of energy efficiency and other distributed energy resource (DER) measures using hourly estimates of electricity system costs. Site includes links to the user's manual and April 13, 2022 webinar presentation.
  • State Indicators for Advancing Energy Efficiency and Demand Flexibility in Buildings (presented at GEB Working Group Forum, January 6, 2022) - Link to Forum presentation, slide deck report, and infographic.
  • Time- and Locational-Sensitive Value resources, including end-use load profile and peak demand impacts of energy efficiency resources
  • Western States Training Webinars on Integrated Distribution System Planning series of trainings pertinent to distribution system planning, demand flexibility, DERs, electrification, and grid modernization (2021)
  • Mims Frick, N., et al. (LBNL report), "Locational Value of Distributed Energy Resources" (February 2021)
  • Nubbe, V, et al. (LBNL report), "Grid-Interactive Efficient Building Technology Cost, Performance, and Lifetime Characteristics" (December 2020)
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
  • Franconi, E., M. Rosenberg, and R. Hart (PNNL), Building Energy Codes and Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (October 2021)
  • Holland, C. and J. Homer (PNNL report), Pilot Considerations for Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings in Washington (November 2021), prepared by PNNL as part of GEB technical assistance to the State of Washington.
  • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Distribution System Operator with Transactive (DSO+T) study investigates the engineering and economic performance of a transactive energy retail market coordinating a high penetration of customer-side flexible energy assets. Includes summary, main report, and related volumes (simulation, coordination framework, simulation, valuation and metrics, Austin SHINES case)
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  • NREL Workshop on Modern Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Capabilities and Deployment Considerations was held on March 8, 2023, addressing questions on modern DER technical capabilities, DER deployment concerns, and provides examples of how DERs can benefit different stakeholders. The workshop provided information to regulators and other state decision-makers on topics such as different DER functions and configurations, experience from early deployments, lessons learned from the regulatory perspective, and decision-making considerations in the interconnection process. Agenda can be found here.
  • Zhou, E. and T. Mai (NREL report), Electrification Futures Study: Operational Analysis of U.S. Power Systems with Increased Electrification and Demand-Side Flexibility (May 2021) -- news release.
  • Olgyay, V., S. Coan, B. Webster, and W. Livingood (NREL report), "Connected Communities: A Multi-Building Energy Management Approach"  (May 2020)

• 2025 IEPR Commissioner Workshop on California’s Progress Toward the Load-Shift Goal, June 25, 2025 includes the following presentations from California as well as on load flexibility elsewhere:
• • SB 846 Load Flex Update
  • California's Progress Toward the 7GW Goal
  • California Demand Flexibility Summit and Stakeholder Outreach Results
  • NY State VDER Tariff - Simplified and Innovative Load Flexibility Implementations
  • Piclo - The World's Leading Independent Grid Flexibility Marketplace
  • Energinet - Load Shift in Denmark
  • Elevate - Hourly Rates in Illinois
• Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (CEC) Grid Services Study is an initiative that offer an initial compensation framework for DERs providing location-specific grid services to the distribution grid and an implementation roadmap intended to guide the longer-term development of offerings for using DER flexibility to support the distribution grid. Site includes links to workshops on DER valuation, compensation, and valuation; final report planned in Summer 2025.
• 2025 California Demand Flexibility Summit, held on May 22, 2025, was hosted by the California Energy Commission (CEC), in collaboration with the University of California Davis (UC Davis) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), to explore opportunities and challenges for realizing the statewide goal of 7,000 megawatts (MW) of demand flexibility by 2030, and discuss the role for demand flexibility in ensuring clean, reliable, and affordable energy for California. Agenda and video recordings are available here.
• New York’s Grid Flexibility Potential (January 2025) - Brattle energy analysts prepared a study for the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York Department of Public Service (NY DPS) that assesses the cost-effective, achievable potential for grid flexibility in the state in 2030 and 2040.
• Colorado Microgrid Roadmap (2025) defines and evaluates different types of microgrids, develops criteria to identify priority projects, and recommends key policies to facilitate microgrid deployment in Colorado. It also includes strategies for addressing costs, interconnection standards, and legal considerations, which are among the main challenges for microgrid implementation in the state. The Roadmap includes discussion and examples of microgrids providing resilience, demand flexibility and VPP services.
• Maine Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) Distribution System Operator (DSO) Feasibility Study – GEO is leading a study to determine whether a DSO could be established in Maine to achieve cost savings for customers, improved system reliability, and accelerated achievement of the State’s climate goals. A DSO approach is posited as a way to increase deployment of DERs at the grid-edge, both behind-the-meter and front-of-the-meter. [Energy Changemakers article here.]
• Ann Arbor’s Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) - The SEU will be an opt-in, supplemental, community-owned energy utility that provides 100% renewable energy from local solar and battery storage systems installed at participating homes and businesses in the city.
• The CalFlexHub Symposium 2024 was held on September 24, 2024, featuring updates on CalFlexHub’s portfolio of projects, information on the latest policies, research, and developments in load flexibility as well as presentations from leaders in the space and keynotes from the California Energy Commission and U.S. Department of Energy. Slides and recordings are available here.
• The California Energy Commission announces a $21 million funding opportunity, called VPP-FLEX, to demonstrate community-based virtual power plant (VPP) approaches and demonstrate innovative energy management systems (EMS) in commercial buildings with the goal of increasing demand flexibility. March 28 pre-application workshop recording posted here. The submission deadline is July 1, 2024, 11:59 pm PT. Click here for more information on the workshop and here for the solicitation.
• Illinois Commerce Commission: Investigation Into The Value Of, And Compensation For, Distributed Energy Resources (illinois.gov) - Workshop Series 1 presentations and recordings, Workshop Series 2 upcoming.
• Connecticut Innovative Energy Solutions (IES) Program: On December 13, 2023 PURA announced selection of seven Cycle 1 projects focused on demand flexibility. The application period for Cycle 2 Empowering Electrification in Connecticut opened on January 1. 2024. See the IES online portal for more information and direct questions to info@ct-ies.com.
• CalFlexHub Symposium - November 3, 2023 hybrid event advancing load flexible technologies for the state of California. Moving from static to dynamic energy management for all (recordings and slides).
• On October 18, 2023, the California Energy Commission adopted Flexible Demand Appliance Standards for pool controls. The new standards, which take effect in September 2025, and also include cybersecurity standards, require that pool controls default to operating pool equipment when both electricity prices and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are low. Pool controls are the first of many devices expected to be upgraded through the CEC’s new authority to adopt flexible demand appliance standards, complementing standards for appliance efficiency, building energy efficiency, and load management.
• NYSERDA announces $18M NextGen Buildings Innovation Challenge for projects that offer advanced building technologies for clean HVAC systems, building envelopes, and controls, including a new challenge area to advance intelligent building control solutions -- development and commercialization of technologies that manage energy assets and electrical loads that will further enable decarbonization and electrification. Informational webinar August 15 2023, 1:00pm ET and proposal submission workshop August 22, 2023, 1:00pm ET. The application deadline is September 27, 2023, 3:00pm ET.
• California Energy Commission, Workshop on Virtual Power Plants and Demand Flexibility: Identifying R&D Needs - July 18, 2023: CEC hosted a staff workshop to identify research needs to advance the use of VPP approaches for increased demand flexibility. The workshop focused on community-owned VPP models and included a panel session with presentations from industry representatives such as load-serving entities and their technology service providers. Input received will be used to inform the development of future solicitations related to the Electric Program Investment Charge 2021-2025 Investment Plan (EPIC 4 Investment Plan). Presentation and recording are available at the event page.
• California Load Flexibility Research and Development Hub (CalFlexHub) is the innovation hub supporting the scaled adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable load flexible technologies. CalFlexHub seeks to advance the capability of smart building technologies to provide flexible energy load for the State of California and beyond. Symposium, December 6 & 7, recordings available.
• California PUC Order Instituting Rulemaking to Advance Demand Flexibility Through Electric Rates (July 14, 2022) - news release, order - and Advanced Strategies for Demand Flexibility Management and Customer DER Compensation workshops page with links to white paper and proposal (and slides), comments, and other materials.
• Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Demand Response Emerging Technology (DRET) Battery Study investigates the ability to utilize residential PV systems paired with Tesla Powerwall batteries to support electric grid reliability in times of high electricity demand by creating a virtual power plants (VPP). (April 2022)
• The California Energy Commission draft 2021 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) is available. Volume 1, Chapter 2 has a sectoin specifically on Demand Flexibility but much of the volume will likely be of interest. Also, workshop on GEB and Load Management, October 5, 2021; presentations and recordings available: Session 1 (morning) and Session 2 (afternoon). 
• California Energy Commission Publications - various pertinent to demand flexibility, e.g.:
  • Distributed Energy Resources Integration Research Roadmap, Reinventing Residential Demand Response, California E-Bus to Grid Integration Project 
• Olinsky-Paul, T., "Energy Storage Best Practices from New England: Ten Lessons From Six States," Clean Energy Group (August 2021)
• Olinsky-Paul, T., "ConnectedSolutions: A New State Funding Mechanism to Make Battery Storage Accessible to All," Clean Energy Group (February 2021)
• Simpkins, A., et al., "ConnectedSolutions: The New Economics of Solar+Storage for Affordable Housing in Massachusetts," Clean Energy Group (February 2021)
• Gerke, B.F., et al., "The California Demand Response Potential Study, Phase 3: Final Report on the Shift Resource through 2030," Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (July 2020) 
• Washington UTC Demand Response Potential And Target Setting Workshop (June 8, 2020) - The Potential for Load Flexibility (The Brattle Group) and Demand Response Insights for the Northwest (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
• Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP), "Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings (GEBS) Tri-Region Status Report" (January 2020)
• Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP)
  • Brant, J., "Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: Providing Energy Demand Flexibility for Utilities in the Southwest" (2019)
  • Kellogg, N., "Smart-Tech Housing Developments in the Southwest: Grid-Integrated and Energy Efficient" (2019)

• SEPA in partnership with Sparkfund, Distributed Capacity Procurement: Unlocking Grid Value with Utility-Led DER Deployment (July 2025) - DCP is a model for utilities to procure and utilize DERs at scale. Through DCP, utilities plan, deploy, own, and manage customer-sited DERs based on where they can provide the most grid value as a scalable new source of verifiable, firm, and dispatchable capacity and infrastructure resources.
• NARUC: Alberg, A., Valuation of Distributed Energy Resources – Information and Application (July 2025)
• RMI PIMs Database provides information on emergent performance incentive mechanisms (PIMs) across the United States. The database is designed to be filterable by a number of factors, including state, utility, status (i.e., active or inactive), incentive type, incentive structure, emergent topic area, and how the utility performed towards the PIM's targets. The database can be downloaded in full or based on specific filter result parameters. The emergent topics tab provides a description for each topic, as well as links to additional information for some of the emergent topics in the database.
• Vehicle-Grid Integration Council (VGIC), Utility Collaboration Forum (UCF), Best Practices for Vehicle-Grid Integration Program and Pilot Development (March 2025) provides essential guidance for utilities and regulators designing and implementing VGI initiatives. Register here for May 29, 2025, 1:00 pm ET webinar.
• Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG), Gaps, Barriers, and Solutions to Demand Response Participation in Wholesale Markets (January 2025) examines why demand response participation remains limited in wholesale markets and proposes actionable solutions to unlock its full potential. (Landing page links to full report, executive summary, policy brief, and appendix.)
• Data Center Demand Flexibility items:
  • Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), DCFlex Initiative will demonstrate how data centers can support and stabilize the electric grid while improving interconnection and efficiency.
  • International Energy Agency (IEA), Energy and AI (April 2025): includes discussions of data center locational and operational flexibility (sections 2.6.2 and 2.6.3) and AI for grid and end-use optimization (including DERs, flexibility; in chapter 3)
  • N. Wang Esram and C. Assadi, Future-Proof AI Data Centers, Grid Reliability, and Affordable Energy: Recommendations for States, ACEEE, (April 2025)
• SEPA, Decoding DERMS: Options for the Future of DER Management (March 2025) explore how DERMS can provide real-time monitoring, control, and coordination of both front-of-the-meter (FTM) and behind-the-meter (BTM) assets to enable VPPs and provide reliable flexibility by leveraging DERs to shift and shape load.
• Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) and North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center, 50 States of Virtual Power Plant and Supporting Distributed Energy Resources: 2024 State Policy Snapshot (February 2025) - examines the breadth and scope of recent state policy actions related to VPPs and DER aggregations in the United States and provides an outlook of expected 2025 activity.
• NARUC, NASEO, RMI: Aggregated Distributed Energy Resources in 2024: The Fundamentals, July 2024 - This report builds upon existing literature and leading examples of ADER pricing and programs in practice to equip commissioners and staff at Public Utilities Commissions and State Energy Offices with the fundamentals of ADER grid services, valuation options, and approaches to compensation.
• Virtual Power Plant Partnership (VP3), led by RMI with private sector partners, is dedicated to understanding the opportunities—and challenges—of the VPP market, including the roles that DERs and demand flexibility can play in decarbonizing and stabilizing the grid.
  • RMI VPP Flipbook
  • RMI VPP Policy Principles
  • RMI Virtual Power Plants, Real Benefits report
  • Flex Coalition and RMI webinar on VPPs and home energy rebates (June 13, 2024)
• American Council of an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE): Johnson, A., A. Fraser, and D. York (2024) Enabling Industrial Demand Flexibility: Aligning Industrial Consumer and Grid Benefits calls on industry, utilities, and states to prepare for increasing loads by investing in strategies and technologies that enable demand flexibility, the ability of industrial facilities to adjust their energy consumption in response to grid conditions. 
• Guidehouse, Alternative Aggregated DER Participation Methods for US Grids Are Still Needed: FERC Order 2222 Is a Good First Step, but Additional Work Remains (4Q 2023) - This report discusses DER adoption and grid service potential of aggregated DER portfolios in the United States. It also outlines FERC Order 2222 goals, barriers to aggregated DER wholesale market participation, and discusses and offers recommendations on alternative grid participation methods for aggregated DERs.
• ASHRAE Grid-Interactive Buildings for Decarbonization: Design and Operation Resource Guide  (November 2023)
• Smart Electric Power Alliance, The State of Bidirectional Charging in 2023 (September 2023)
• RMI, Maggie Huang, et al., Cost-Effective Grid Interactive Efficient Buildings: Potential for the WinnCompanies Portfolio (July 2023)
• The Brattle Group, Real Reliability: The Value of Virtual Power (May 2023) - This report explores the cost and ability to serve critical resource adequacy needs using virtual power plants (VPPs), portfolios of distributed energy resources (DERs) that are actively controlled to provide benefits to the power system, consumers, and the environment.
• NARUC, Demand Flexibility within a Performance-Based Regulatory Framework (February 2023) presents the various components of performance-based regulation and explores how its applications can advance demand flexibility.
• World Resources Institute, Smart Charging and Consumer Behavior in the United States (November 2022) -- report concerns smart charging or vehicle-grid integration (VGI) to help electric vehicles (EVs) to support rather than strain the electric grid.
• Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG) and its DER Working Group, has several relevant task forces, including:
  • Grid Planning for Vehicle Electrification
  • Aligning Retail Pricing and Grid Needs (including “Aligning Retail Pricing and Grid Needs: Introduction to a White Paper Series” by Debra Lew, Erik Ela and Carl Linvill)
  • DER Integration Series
• Smart Electric Power Alliance, Accelerating Coordinated Utility Programs for Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: Practitioners' Perspectives (July 2022) report and case studies. Webinars held July 28, August 17, and September 14, 2022 (see "past events") -- thanks to SEPA for a special extra discussion session with Working Group states after the final webinar.
• Strategen, Regulatory Sandboxes: Program Design to Accelerate Innovation for an Evolving Electric Grid (May 2022) discusses and provides cases of "regulatory sandboxes" as a tool to allow space in existing utility regulatory structures for innovative pilots, including for new technologies and business models.
• Energy Systems Integration Group DER Integration into Wholesale Markets and Operations [report, fact sheet, presentation, overview presentation recording] examines the changes in regulation, market rules, planning, and operating practices needed to better integrate DERs into U.S. wholesale markets and operations.
• The Alliance to Save Energy-led Active Efficiency Collaborative (of which NASEO and NARUC are members) launched a new interactive tool (developed with the Brattle Group) to help decisionmakers understand and evaluate the benefits of demand flexibility. The Demand Flexibility Valuation Report allows users to specify their interest in demand flexibility and then instantaneously receive a customized report containing information relevant to the user's perspective.
• Guernsey, M., et al. (Guidehouse), Incentive Mechanisms for Leveraging Demand Flexibility as a Grid Asset: An Implementation Guide for Utilities and Policymakers (executive summary and report) (May 2021)
• National Energy Screening Project, National Standard Practice Manual for Benefit-Cost Analysis of Distributed Energy Resources (NSPM for DERs) - links to document, summary, presentation slides, and webinars.
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, The Future of Electric Power in the U.S. (February 2021) -- includes coverage of demand flexibility, DERs, and associated technological, regulatory, and business model issues.
• RMI, The Carbon Emissions Impact of Demand Flexibility (2021)
• Perry, C., H. Bastian, and D. York (ACEEE), "State of the Market: Grid-interactive Efficient Building Utility Programs" (October 2019)
• York, D., G. Relf, and C, Waters (ACEEE), "Integrated Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Programs" (September 2019)
• Saul Rinaldi, K., E. Bunnen, and S. Rogers, "Residential Grid-interactive Efficient Building Technology and Policy: Harnessing the Power of Homes for a Clean, Affordable, Resilient Grid of the Future" (October 2019)
• The Brattle Group, "The National Potential for Load Flexibility: Value and Market Potential Through 2030" (June 2019)
• Goldenberg, C., M. Dyson, and H. Masters, "Demand Flexibility: The Key to Enabling a Low-Cost-, Low-Carbon Grid," RMI (February 2018)

• This webinar featured Rajiv Shah of Octopus Energy Group discussing issues of scaling demand flexibility and VPP solutions, drawing on Octopus Energy and Kraken Technologies experiences, including management of over 200,000 devices at over 1 GW of flexible capacity in one of the world’s largest residential VPPs. The webinar covered approaches for optimizing distributed energy resource (DER) management, including technological, policy, regulatory, and customer-facing factors (such as incentive design) as well as establishment of the Mercury Consortium to advance device interoperability. Presentation slides are here and recording here.

• Mary Tobin, RMI discussed the recent RMI VPP Flipbook that highlights key design elements and lessons to help utilities and states to implement effective VPPs. The Flipbook showcases various technologies, utility participation models, compensation approaches, and third-party partnership roles. The Forum also had presentations from Yoh Kawanami from Hawaiian Electric and Amy Findlay from Eversource on their relevant utility programs and approaches. A recording is available here.

• This Forum focused on industrial demand flexibility and load management to save money, lower emissions, and reduce grid stresses from industrial operations. Dr. Kody Powell (Intermountain Industrial Assessment Center and University of Utah) and Dr. Blake Billings (Oak Ridge National Lab) presented Working Smarter, Not Harder: Opportunities and Challenges for Industrial Demand Response to Support the Grid and Ilia Krupenich and Akruti Gupta of the California Energy Commission (CEC) presented Industrial Energy Innovation in California highlighting industrial load flexibility opportunities and programs in California.

• This joint webinar of the NASEO-NARUC GEB and Microgrids State Working Groups explored opportunities for electrified transportation integrated with other distributed energy resources (DERs) to provide grid services and support resilience through demand flexibility and vehicle-to-grid (V2G)/vehicle-to-everything (V2X) functionality. Amy McGuire of Highland Electric Fleets (presentation) discussed school bus electrification, including work with Montgomery Co. (MD) on what will be the nation’s largest EV school bus fleet and its piloting of V2G applications. Jeremy Berke of the Washington State Department of Commerce (presentation) discussed the state’s Clean Energy Fund and Grid Modernization Program. Scott Gibson of the Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) (presentation) discussed the utility’s Arlington Microgrid V2G Demonstration Project that incorporates solar generation, battery storage, and V2G charging for the PUD’s EV fleet. (Recording pending.)     

• Workshop 1: Leveraging Federal Funding for ADERs, March 26 - about federal funding opportunities for aggregated DERs, how to leverage them, and create an action plan for your jurisdiction. View Recording View Presentation
• Workshop 2: ADER Interconnection, April 4 – about policies and regulations to enable and accelerate aggregated DER interconnection. Participants will discuss actions that can support ADER interconnection, such as data sharing, process improvements, and policies that support equitable cost allocation. (Recording and presentation pending.)
• Workshop 3: Integrated Distribution System Planning for ADERs, May 1, 2024, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET - focus on policies and actions to support coordinated integrated distribution system planning that can enable aggregated DERs to provide grid services and meet customer needs. Register here.

• Webinar 1: Aggregated DER Grid Services, December 4, 2023 (presentation, recording)
• Webinar 2: Aggregated DER Valuation, December 18, 2023 (presentation, summary report)
• Webinar 3: Compensation Options for Aggregated DER Grid Services, January 8, 2024 (presentation, recording)

• Paul Heitmann (NJ Board of Public Utilities, presentation), Ram Narayanamurthy (U.S. DOE, presentation), Commissioner Andrew McAllister (California Energy Commission, presentation), and Aaron Berndt (Google, presentation).

• The New Buildings Institute provided a preview of the upcoming ASHRAE GEB for Decarbonization resource guide and discussed real world findings and experience with pilot applications of the GridOptimal suite of metrics on building "grid friendliness." A link to the presentation slides can be found here. 

• This Forum featured Cindy Regnier (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory [LBNL]) providing an overview of the U.S. DOE-supported Connected Communities initiative and LBNL's role as national coordinator (presentation) followed by Alicia Noriega (Edo Energy) discussing the Spokane (WA) Connected Communities Project (presentation) and Scott Schuetter (Slipstream) on Connecting Communities for Sustainable Solutions (Madison, WI) (presentation).

• This joint webinar discussed virtual power plants (VPP). Ryan Hledik (Brattle Group) provided a VPP overview as well as findings from Real Reliability: The Value of Virtual Power on costs and reliability of VPPs as resource adequacy assets. Franco Albi (Portland General Electric) and Brenda Chew (Virtual Peaker) offered utility and service provider perspectives. (Presentation slides here.)

• Matt Leach (National Renewable Energy Laboratory presented an overview of state-level energy efficiency (EE) and demand flexibility (DF) potential of selected measures and building types. Study approaches, results, and planned next steps were presented along with considerations of how states and others can use such information to inform planning, policy, and regulations to enhance EE and DF and the benefits they provide. Natalie Mims Frick (Berkeley Lab) provided an update on Lab TA to the states. (Presentation slides here.)

• Lisa Schwartz (LBNL) shared a national perspective on trends and challenges states are facing in seeking to accelerate DER deployment as part of grid modernization; Paul Heitmann (NJ Board of Public Utilities) discussed the process for developing the New Jersey Grid Modernization Study as well as study recommendations and plans for implementation. Links to slides and recording.

• Elliott Nethercutt of NARUC presented slides summarizing recent research from a new publication, Demand Flexibility within a Performance-Based Regulatory Framework. The report, which includes case studies from three Working Group states—Colorado, Hawaii, and Vermont—examines demand flexibility implementation and barriers within performance-based regulatory frameworks. Grace Relf of the Hawaii PUC (slides here) and Joan White of the Vermont PUC (slides here) each presented on their states' experience with performance-based regulatory frameworks that have advanced demand flexibility and GEB implementation.

• Presentations and YouTube videos: (1) Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings: Reinforcing the Grid with DERs; (2) Millions of Mini Power Plants: What Vehicle-to -Grid Technology Means for Reliability, Resilience, and Affordability on the Grid; (3) Drafting the Blueprint; (4) Implementation

• As part of the NARUC-NASEO Distributed Energy Resources Integration and Compensation Initiative, this webinar highlighted a new report developed by the GridWise Alliance. (slides, recording)

• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory experts presented on cybersecurity aspects of demand flexibility and distributed energy resources (presentation). Among resources presented: Facility Cybersecurity resources.

• Natalie Mims Frick (LBNL) presented on demand flexibility and DERs in distribution system planning, including as non-wires solutions/alternatives (NWS/NWA) to traditional distribution upgrades. The presentation slides can be found here. Hanna Terwilliger (Minnesota PUC staff and GEB Working Group co-chair) discussed NWS/NWA approaches, opportunities, and challenges in Minnesota and recent activities to advance demand flexibility in the state. The presentation slides can be found here. 

• Colorado Electrification Policies and Programs (Dylan Klomhaus, Colorado Energy Office), Accelerating Adoption of DERs through Incentive and Demonstration Programs (Demetra Tzamares, Center for Sustainable Energy), Smart Neighborhoods (aka Connected Communities) (Justin Hill, Southern Company Services).

• David Pudleiner (ICF) and Kate Strickland (Smart Electric Power Alliance) presented a case study of using the National Standard Practice Manual (NSPM) for DERs to do a BCA for a hypothetical GEB residential retrofit program that includes efficiency, demand response, and electrification measures. The presentation slides can be found here. Such programs can entail significant challenges, such as accounting for interactive effects of DERs and customer and societal impacts.

• Jerrylyn Huckabee, MA Department of Energy Resources (DOER) presented on “active demand management” in the state’s EE plan, including ConnectedSolutions in the Mass Save program, while Joan White of Vermont PUC staff spoke on Vermont’s work on electrification and DF in utility programs. The presentations were followed by discussion and cross-state exchange.

• Presentation based on the State and Local Building Policies and Programs for Energy Efficiency and Demand Flexibility report followed by Chris Perry, Engineer, DOE Building Technologies Office, and Ellen Franconi, Senior Energy Research Engineer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) on potential DF/DR-friendly provision inclusion in codes, stretch codes, and BPS, and on including time-differentiation in code cost-effectiveness determinations. Slide deck.

• State exchange and presentations by Sanem Sergici (Principal, The Brattle Group) [Retail Pricing: A Low Cost Approach to Load Flexibility] and Lon Huber (VP, Rate Design and Strategic Solutions, Duke Energy) [New Realities: A Case for Innovative Customer Centric Rate Designs]. 

• Link to Forum presentation and full slide deck report; and visualization tool at State Indicators of Demand Flexibility and Energy Efficiency | Electricity Markets and Policy Group (lbl.gov).

• Limited to state Working Group members, please contact geb@naseo.org with questions. DOE Connected Communities presentation.

• (Introductory slides, main presentation, recording.)

• (slides and recording)

• presentation and recording

NASEO-NARUC Virtual Site Visit: Oracle Industries Innovation Lab - for State and Territory Energy Office members only
March 12, 2021, 2:00pm-3:30pm ET.

• Presentations: Introduction, National GEB Roadmap and National Lab GEB Technical Assistance; meeting recording.

• Kaci Radcliffe (Oregon Dept. of Energy), Timothy Treadwell (Portland General Electric); recording; presentation available on request.

• Abigail Daken (EPA), Ashley Armstrong (A.O. Smith Corp.), Sarah Vorpahl (Washington State Dept. of Commerce)

• Colby Tucker (EPA), Henry Richardson (WattTime), Nancy Seidman (Regulatory Assistance Project)

• Tom Eckman and Lisa Schwartz (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

January 23, 2020

• Rodney Sobin (NASEO), Natalie Mims Frick (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) [2019 accomplishments, 2020 plans, National Lab technical assistance offerings discussion] - slides, recording

• Neil Cowan and Eric Maurer (Xcel Energy) and Justin Hill and Jim Leverette (Southern Company) - recording 

• Lisa Schwartz (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) - recording

• Alice Rosenberg (Consortium for Energy Efficiency), Rodney Sobin (NASEO), Kara Saul Rinaldi (AnnDyl Policy Group) 

• Rodney Sobin (NASEO), Monica Neukomm (U.S. DOE), Mary Ann Piette (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) - slides, recording

• NARUC-SEPA-DOE Workshop "Demystifying Virtual Power Plants: What is a VPP? How are VPPs deployed today? What are the opportunities and challenges for regulators, utilities, and other stakeholders?" February 15, 2023. Presentations and YouTube videos: (1) Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings: Reinforcing the Grid with DERs; (2) Millions of Mini Power Plants: What Vehicle-to -Grid Technology Means for Reliability, Resilience, and Affordability on the Grid; (3) Drafting the Blueprint; (4) Implementation
• Connected Communities cohort kick-off meeting "Lessons From Past Connected Communities Projects" session (from November 2, 2022) -- (1) California Advanced Energy Communities; (2) Smart Neighborhoods (Southern Co. Alabama and Georgia) ; (3) AI-Driven Smart Community for Accelerating PV Adoption and Enhancing Grid Resilience (Basalt Vista Community, CO)
• NARUC, Financial Toolbox on Electrification, addressed technology, economic, accounting, and customer considerations related to building electrification programs, including status and trends, cost-benefit considerations, and regulatory questions. Webinar May 26, 2022 recording.
• Resources for the Future, Greening the Grid through Demand-Side Automation, April 4, 2022, 3:00 PM ET (recording available).
• Calibrated, Validated, and Publicly Available End Use Load Profiles for the U.S. Building Stock, October 28, 2021 - Recording and slides are available here. The end use load profiles can be downloaded here. For questions about using the load profiles, please email: load.profiles@nrel.gov and other questions can go to Natalie Mims Frick nfrick@lbl.gov or Eric Wilson eric.wilson@nrel.gov. 
• Valuing and Incentivizing Demand Flexibility as a Grid Asset, September 22, 2021, 1:00-2:00 pm ET - Better Buildings Alliance webinar covering research to quantify the value of DF from GEBs to the utility and highlights mechanisms that utilities and policymakers can use to encourage DF. Speakers: Tom Eckman (consultant to LBNL - Determining Utility System Value of Demand Flexibility from Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings) and Margot Everett (Guidehouse - Incentive Mechanisms for Leveraging Demand Flexibility as a Grid Asset). Webinar slides and recording. 
• Decarbonization at a District Scale: Colorado Residential Retrofit Energy District (CoRRED), August 31, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm ET - DOE State Energy Program webinar on the results of a DOE-funded simulation of a Denver neighborhood of grid-interactive efficient homes. (August 31 slides and recording pending; also available are the July 20 versions of the webinar slides and recording link [password for recording: CoRRED2021! ] )  
• NARUC webinar Virtual Power Plants in the 20s: Moving From Theory to Practice, August 12, 2021, 3:00-4:00 pm ET (recording).
• Grid Integration and Electrification in Energy Codes, August 12, 2021, 1:00-2:00 pm ET, DOE Building Energy Codes Program webinar on the role of building energy codes in advancing connected buildings, how electrification will necessitate this, and GEB technologies being adopted at state and local levels. (slides; recording).

• NASEO Annual Meeting (Portland, OR) Dynamic Loads, Virtual Power Plants, and Connected Communities session (October 18, 2023): Paul Heitmann (NJ Board of Public Utilities, presentation), Ram Narayanamurthy (U.S. DOE, presentation), Commissioner Andrew McAllister (California Energy Commission, presentation), and Aaron Berndt (Google, presentation).
• NASEO Annual Meeting Session, Grid Evolution or Revolution? Accelerating Building Electrification, Demand Flexibility, and Distributed Energy Resources (October 12, 2022):  Colorado Electrification Policies and Programs (Dylan Klomhaus, Colorado Energy Office), Accelerating Adoption of DERs through Incentive and Demonstration Programs (Demetra Tzamares, Center for Sustainable Energy), Smart Neighborhoods (aka Connected Communities) (Justin Hill, Southern Company Services).
• NASEO-NARUC GEB Working Group virtual meeting - January 11, 2021, 3:00-5:00 PM ET - Presentations: Introduction, National GEB Roadmap and National Lab GEB Technical Assistance; meeting recording.
• 2019 NASEO Annual Meeting: Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings Roundtable
  • NASEO-NARUC State Working Group Roundtable and Workshop Overview - Rodney Sobin (NASEO)
  • State Interviews - Hanna Terwilliger (Minnesota Public Utilities Commission), Kaci Radcliffe (Oregon Dept. of Energy)
  • Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: Value Propositions and Sectoral Perspectives - Joanne Morin (Massachusetts Dept. of Energy Resources)
  • The Economics of Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEBs) - Cara Carmichael (Rocky Mountain Institute)
  • Residential Grid-Interactive Efficient Building Technology and Policy - Kara Saul Rinaldi (AnnDyl Policy Group)
  • NYSERDA - RTEM & GEM - Rodney Sobin (NASEO) [on behalf of NYSERDA]
  • Workshop Handout: Actions States Can Take - Rodney Sobin (NASEO)
  • Next Steps - Hanna Terwilliger (Minnesota Public Utilities Commission), Kaci Radcliffe (Oregon Dept. of Energy)
• 2019 NASEO Energy Policy Outlook Conference
  • Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings - David Nemtzow (U.S. DOE)
  • Buildings-to-Grid: Critical Issues for Decision Makers - Natalie Mims Frick (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
• 2018 NASEO Annual Meeting (Detroit)
• Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: Energy Efficiency & Grid Optimization - David Nemtzow (U.S. DOE)
• What’s Next for Energy Efficiency: Grid Interaction - Chris Baker (The Weidt Group)
• Grid Interactive Efficient Buildings - Jan Berman (PG&E)
• Smart Neighborhood - James Leverette (Southern Co.)

• NASEO Comments on RFI DE-FOA-0002291: Building Technology Office’s Draft Connected Communities Funding Opportunity Announcement (May 2020)
• Colorado Energy Office Comments on RFI DE-FOA-0002291 (May 2020)
• Maryland Energy Administration Comments on RFI DE-FOA-0002291 (May 2020)
• NASEO Comments on Request for Information DE-FOA-0002070: Efficient and Flexible Building Loads (February 2019)