Rush to Modernize

摘要

Legislators and regulators in some states appear increasingly obsessed with grid modernization. Legislators are ordering regulators to provide incremental economic incentives for extraordinary/ modern grid investments. Regulators are busy evaluating large grid investment proposals from utilities or establishing requirements for grid investment proposals that are outside the routine course of business. Some regulators are even overseeing the creation of new distribution planning processes involving stakeholders, similar in nature and features to Integrated Resource Planning as demonstrated by Alvarez in a November 2014 PUF article. But regulators have little access to technical experts with objective perspectives. As leading evaluators of grid modernization plans for consumer, business, and environmental advocates, and with extensive experience in IOU distribution grid planning and operations, the authors share their perspectives on distribution planning in this editorial.