Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Integration Challenges and Solutions in NY State
Zachary Caruso
Lead Analyst – Programs and Projects
Clean Energy Policy at Avangrid
Abstract: NY and other states in the Northeast have set ambitious renewable adoption goals for 2030, 2040, and beyond. In order to help meet these goals, these states have adopted DER friendly policies and compensation schemes which have driven rapid DER adoption across the region. While the rapid adoption of renewable generation is a positive sign, most states still have a long journey ahead of them with many barriers still to overcome to reach their renewable energy goals. One of the key barriers to DER adoption across the US is system capacity as most utility systems were designed to serve load from large generating stations many miles away and the adoption of distributed generation has come up against thermal design constraints which can require expensive system upgrades to resolve. These expensive upgrades can prevent DER adoption in the constrained area by making it uneconomical therefore inhibiting the overall pace of DER adoption as more and more locations become constrained. This challenge has lead Avangrid to explore an alternative approach to DER Interconnection under the Flexible Interconnection Capacity Solution (FICS) Project that focuses on monitoring and controlling the DER that interconnect to its distribution grid in real-time to avoid constraints while also enabling greater renewable generation on existing infrastructure. Join Avangrid’s FICS project manager, Zach Caruso, as he provides some background on the DER Interconnection Study process, shares the results of the FICS project so far, next steps for Flexible Interconnections, and provides some context on how Flexible Interconnections may lay the ground work for operating the Grid of the Future.
Bio: Zachary (Zach) Caruso is a Lead Analyst – Programs and Projects in Clean Energy Policy for AVANGRID Networks which serve nearly 3.3 million customers in the northeastern United States. In this role, Zach is responsible for leading the development, planning, and implementation of multiple DER Management projects supporting AVANGRID’s Grid Modernization roadmap across all 4 of AVANGRID’s Electric Operating Companies including the Flexible Interconnection Capacity Solution (FICS) REV Demo at New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) in New York. Additional responsibilities include guiding the DER Management strategy at AVANGRID’s Electric Operating Companies and leading the adoption of new standards for DER Integration.
Before joining AVANGRID, Zach earned a Bachelors and a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering with a Focus on Energy and Electricity Systems from Lehigh University.
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 12:15-1:15 pm, CAMP 194
Join Link: https://clarkson.zoom.us/j/97763004044?pwd=fReadMi2o7OYVOIOgYm5yAuGGnbmdy.1 Contact for queries: Prof Leo Yazhou Jiang, yjiang@clarkson.edu
*Co-Sponsored by IEEE student branch and HKN
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Electrical and Computer Engineering ● CLARKSON UNIVERSITY ● Potsdam, New York 13699-5720