DER Task Force August Newsletter
August 2021 Edition
Announcements + Updates
Earlier this month we hosted a fantastic meetup with Michael Murray of Mission:data, a recording of which you can find here. Michael got us all thinking about the importance of open data access when it comes to DERs, the security implications of such access, and the need for local and regional policy action. If you’re interested in supporting Mission:data’s work, you can join the coalition here.
Speaking of policy action, DER Task Force is launching a policy arm! Building off the successes of the Connecticut submission and more recently the submission to the PUCT, we are launching this effort to shape the future of energy policy nationwide with Lena Golze Desmond leading the charge as the DER Task Force Policy Coordinator. We plan to start in a few key markets, build up a well-oiled regulatory comment machine, and expand from there. If this sounds interesting to you, join #dertf_policy in the Slack to stay up to date on meetings, comment drafting sessions, and more.
Swag update for you all! We are coalescing around a handful of cool new apparel options for the task force which we’re excited to share. If you have any particular requests for swag, please reach out and let us know.
From the community
From the community: Local Meetups
James Gordey, other members of the Portland DER Task Force chapter, plus other characters from the world of energy got together earlier this month to share #deepenergythoughts over brews. What started with a 6-person strong meetup will hopefully grow over time!
If you want to host a meetup in your city, message in your city or region’s channel to get the ball rolling. No channel for where you live yet? Feel free to start one and invite people to join!
From the community: Content
This month, select members of the DER Task Force got together with Eric Goff and formulated comments responding to some big questions asked by the PUCT at the beginning of the month. Several brainstorming sessions and long email threads later, the group produced a thoughtful, DER-oriented set of comments that emphasize the importance of market-driven discovery of VOLL and the importance of introducing incentives for greater DER participation. You can read the full set of comments here. If you want to be involved in efforts like this going forward, join the #dertf_policy channel.
From the community: Thread of the Month
In the #policy channel, DER TF members got to the bottom of where settling to the meter happens and, crucially, what settling to the meter actually means. Matt Hale kicked it all off asking about settling to the meter in ERCOT.
Key takeaways from the thread below:
Broadly defined, CAISO and ERCOT allow settling to the meter, though not all players in those markets do (i.e. Municipal power companies and Co-ops in ERCOT do not).
Real-time pricing passed on directly to consumers can be a double-edged sword. During most days of the year, consumers can save a lot of money on their bills if exposed to real-time pricing because they are incented to shift their load to less expensive periods. However, during tail events like Storm Uri this February, supply shortages and skyrocketing demand meant devastatingly high prices borne directly by consumers. There are several approaches to avoiding this outcome (including the DER Task Force proposal in response to ERCOT’s request for comments), but these risks are important to note.
Settling to the meter is a bit of a fuzzy term, but ultimately the group coalesced around defining it as the process by which a REP is charged by the ISO based on the actual measured hourly consumption by the REP’s customers. The meetup with Arcadia Founder & CEO Kiran Bhatraju gets into the nitty gritty of settling to the meter for those interested in diving deeper.
Check out the #policy channel for more great conversations with fellow DERTFers!
What we’re reading
Earlier this month, Duncan Campbell tweeted out a set of epic photos of the original Energy Task Force from the 1970s (a handful shown below).
One of DER Task Force’s first meetups ever was with Travis Price, the man behind the operation, which you can watch here, and you can read more about the Energy Task Force’s story here. What’s clear from the photos and the meetup is that this group had incredible moxie, principle, and just enough punk to get this done. I think we could all learn something from their ethos and actions.
Want to read more? Join the #news channel in the Slack. Did we miss a piece? Let us know about it here.
Jobs
Leap is hiring for a Product Manager role focused on the roadmap for the Data Science and Data Platform teams, as well as a Product Ops Analyst acting as the connective tissue between Product, Operations, and Engineering. Reach out to Sean Grimes to learn more.
EnelX is hiring a Solutions Engineer to partner with sales, product marketing, product management and engineering to assess projects that ultimately drive revenue. Apply here and reach out to Ryan Mann for questions.
Powerhouse Ventures is hiring a Vice President focused on business development and managing teams leading partnerships, product, and operations. Apply here and reach out to Emma McDonagh for more.
CleanCapital is hiring for Associate and Analyst roles here. The team just raised $300M and is growing rapidly - reach out to Cameron Yeh for more details.
Don’t worry, there are way more jobs than listed above - find our full job board here.
Have a job and want to share? Fill out this form to get it in our database.
DER of the Month
In honor of the OG Energy Task Force, please enjoy this lone wind turbine in the middle of Manhattan, circa 1977.
Thanks for reading!
— DER Task Force Leadership Team