By William Opalka

New York utilities have filed 15 demonstration projects for consideration under the state’s Reforming the Energy Vision initiative, many of them designed to increase consumer awareness and reduce power consumption.

The proposals were due July 1 under a February order by the New York Public Service Commission. The order directed investor-owned utilities to offer joint proposals with third parties to develop distributed resources, smart grid projects, microgrids and more. (See New York PSC Bars Utility Ownership of Distributed Energy Resources.)

Iberdrola

Rochester Gas & Electric and New York State Electric and Gas, both units of Iberdrola USA, have proposed three projects: the Energy Marketplace, an ecommerce website enabling consumers and distributed energy resource providers to interact; the Flexible Interconnect Capacity Solution, a model for connecting large-scale, controllable distributed generation to the grid, with the ability of the utility to either dispatch or curtail the power; and the Community Energy Coordination program, which would use community-based energy asset planning to procure distributed energy resources.

National Grid

National Grid has proposed projects at three locations around the state.

Renewable energy integration and automated demand management would be provided at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, along with in-front-of-the-meter solar generation in a lower-income neighborhood. The company also has proposed a partnership with Clarkson University and the State University of New York at Potsdam to determine the feasibility of a community microgrid. In Clifton Park, it is proposing advanced metering for residential and small commercial customers to monitor and control energy use.

Central Hudson Gas & Electric

Central Hudson Gas & Electric, which got a jump on the others when it incorporated its demonstration projects in its recent rate case, has included a targeted demand response program that met PSC criteria. (See Central Hudson Gets Rate Hike, OK on REV Project.)

Its other projects include a utility-scale community solar project that would offer fixed rates to subscribers. Central Hudson and its partners are conducting a feasibility study for a microgrid project. Its “energy exchange” would provide customers with energy management information, including products and services, on a web-based platform.

Orange & Rockland

Orange & Rockland has proposed partnerships with third-party product and service partners to increase customer awareness on energy consumption, motivate customers to participate in utility programs, increase adoption of distributed energy and develop new revenue streams.

Consolidated Edison

Consolidated Edison has filed three separate plans. Its CONnectED Homes program would provide customers with tools to connect them with efficiency programs.

The Building Efficiency Marketplace is intended to illustrate the value of interval meter data analytics in engaging commercial customers to reduce their demand.

The virtual power plant would aggregate 1.8 MW of behind-the-meter distributed solar with battery storage to improve grid resiliency.