International District Energy Association and Microgrid Resources Coalition Announce Merger to Promote Wider Adoption of Microgrids
The International District Energy Association (IDEA) and the Microgrid
Resources Coalition (MRC) today announced a merger agreement to
integrate the resources and technical and regulatory expertise of the
MRC into IDEA as part of a collaborative strategy to strengthen
information exchange and advocacy efforts aimed at improving the
technical, regulatory and policy landscape for microgrids.
The two organizations announced their plans on the eve of Microgrid
Knowledge, a May 19 conference in New York City that will draw industry
participants from across North America to share best practices and
innovations across a range of issues relating to microgrids, regulatory
policies and market development.
“Microgrids are a growing segment of the energy industry and integral to
our work at IDEA,” said IDEA President and CEO Rob Thornton. “Today, we
are witnessing a paradigm shift from remote central station power plants
toward more localized, distributed generation for enhanced reliability,
resiliency and energy efficiency, especially in cities, communities and
campuses. IDEA members have been operating CHP/district energy
microgrids for decades, long before the term “microgrid” was even
coined. IDEA and MRC have much in common in terms of membership and
mission, and we share an objective to inform energy policy makers and
regulators about the myriad benefits microgrids can deliver. We are
eager to bring our resources to deepen our partnership with MRC,
integrating the regulatory and policy expertise of MRC with the
practical, operational insights of over 2100 IDEA members around the
globe to accelerate microgrid deployment in North America.”
“The MRC was principally formed to advocate for a level playing field
for microgrids in the energy regulatory arena”, said Tom Nyquist of
Princeton University and Chair of MRC. “Drawing from our operational
experience, we have been informing regulators and advising policy
makers, electric utilities and independent system operators on the range
of benefits that microgrids can produce for end-users, as well as the
local and regional power grid. By operating in parallel with the
traditional electricity grid, microgrids like the one at Princeton
University, can shift demand for expensive peak power and reduce strain
on the local distribution network. We are also able to optimize thermal
energy and integrate intermittent renewable resources. On those
occasions when severe weather interrupts regular utility service, the
microgrid at Princeton can “island” and isolate from the grid, to
provide our own continuous power, heating and cooling for critical
research facilities on campus.”
IDEA joined MRC as a founding member in 2014, and all current MRC member
companies are also IDEA members. Members of both organizations have
common perspectives on the energy industry, making their official
alliance a natural step.
While microgrids are gaining attention due to their inherent resilience
benefits, the early stage market still faces barriers to widespread
implementation such as conflicting regulations at federal, state, and
local levels. Through the merger, IDEA and MRC will combine technical,
regulatory and policy resources to educate and engage with federal and
state energy regulatory and policy agencies, as well as utility business
leaders and local governments.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT ENERGY ASSOCIATION
The
International District Energy Association (IDEA) is a nonprofit trade
association founded in 1909 to facilitate the exchange of information
among district energy professionals. IDEA works actively to foster the
success of members as leaders in providing reliable, economical,
efficient and environmentally sound district heating, district cooling
and cogeneration (also known as combined heat and power or CHP)
services. Today, IDEA has over 2,100 members in 25 nations and is
governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors. For more information,
please visit http://www.districtenergy.org/.
ABOUT THE MICROGRID RESOURCES COALITION
The Microgrid
Resources Coalition is a consortium of leading microgrid owners,
operators, developers, suppliers and investors formed as an
unincorporated nonprofit association under the laws of the District of
Columbia. The purpose of the MRC is to advance microgrids as energy
resources. The MRC promotes the widespread implementation of microgrids
through advocacy for laws, regulations and tariffs that support their
access to market, compensate them for their services, and provide a
level playfield for their deployment and operations. For more
information, please visit: http://www.microgridresources.com/About-MRC.aspx.
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