DER Task Force May Newsletter

May 2022 Edition

Jun 02, 2022

Tickets for DERTFest are now available! The day will be jam-packed with awesome speakers and debates on spicy topics including the future of the utility business model, whether baseload and intermittent energy resources can work together, how the left and the right can embrace DERs, and more. Not to mention the incredible afterparty to follow. And, rumor has it there may even be a live “Dope or Nope” segment at the event! Snag your tickets now to attend the unconference of the decade with fellow DER nerds this November 10th. Big thank you Newlab in Brooklyn for hosting!
Our first post-Covid in-person meetup in NYC this month was a success. The next one is set for June 8 — you can RSVP here. Like we mentioned last newsletter, these are going to be a monthly recurring event and we want to spread the love to other cities as much as possible. DER Task Force will promote the event and help out with Eventbrite setup if someone local can handle on-the-ground management. If you’re interested in starting a local meetup in your city, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
For anyone who may have missed it, check out our latest pod episode with Arcadia founder and CEO Kiran Bhatraju. For his first time in the ThunDERdome, we have to admit Kiran nailed it.

From the community

DER Task Force…Incubator?

Based on recent Slack activity, it appears that DER Task Force is becoming the go-to spot for folks looking to start or join startups tackling problems in the DERs space. Of the folks who introduced themselves over Slack this month, over 60% mentioned they were brainstorming startup ideas, working on an existing idea, or looking for paths to working at startups in this space.

In some ways, this is not a surprise — the Task Force is collection of DER enthusiasts building relationships in both professional and personal contexts. However, the large share of potential founders + startup-oriented folks joining the community highlights the big challenges and opportunities DERs present to our current system. Who knows — maybe a company founded by a fellow Task Force members can help address some or all of those challenges. For our new joiners, take advantage of the deep expertise, varied perspectives, and diverse backgrounds you’ll encounter here, and welcome to the Task Force!

Utilities pop culture moment

For those not on Twitter or otherwise living under a rock, please enjoy this utility special from John Oliver (also, apparently Property Brother Jonathan Scott made a documentary about utilities? Who knew!)

Jobs

Leap is hiring a Business Development Manager to build partnerships with DER technology and service providers. You can apply here and reach out to Tara Raymundo with any questions.
EnelX is hiring a Senior DER Solutions Engineer based in Boston. Apply here and reach out to Ryan Mann for more.
Bloomberg NEF (BNEF) is hiring a Senior Power Analyst based in New York City. You can learn more about and apply to the role here.

Don’t worry, there are way more jobs than listed above - find our full job board here and be sure to join the #jobs channel in Slack.

Have a job and want to share? Fill out this form to get it in our database.

DER of the Month

Is an induction stove a DER? Find out here…

Thanks for reading!

— DER Task Force Leadership Team

DER Task Force