Okay friends — time to talk about one of the trends we’ll be diving into at DERVOS 2026. Institutionalization of DERs.
For the last two decades distributed energy has been grassroots - it’s been as much about energy freedom from the utility as it’s been about increased resilience, reliability and lower power costs. It was countercultural. You got a solar system in part because the economics made sense for your roof, but usually also you cared about climate, or you wanted to provide control over your power destiny. The grid figured out how to use all of it later, but it was bottoms-up by design, prioritizing the end-users needs.
But looking at the market today, that’s... not really how it’s playing out anymore.
Utilities and hyperscalers are stepping in and writing the checks. Whether it’s PG&E and Google subsidizing home upgrades to clear distribution constraints, Sparkfund deploying utility-controlled batteries in front of the meter, or Base Power acting as a vertically integrated BTM storage provider for utilities in TX.The capital is centralized. The deployment is targeted on where it helps the broader grid most. The assets still live on your block, but the control sure doesn’t.
It begs the question: Are we still building a decentralized grid, or are we just building a centralized grid using distributed real estate? And more importantly, does it matter? How does this new system impact the end users and how should we feel about utility-involvement in movement that started off against utilities?
We have an incredible lineup joining me to unpack this: Pier LaFarge (Sparkfund), Heather O’Neill (Advanced Energy United), Trevor Udwin (PG&E), and Tim Pianta (Base Power). Bring your hardest questions for the Q&A.
See you there!
DERVOS 2026 — November 5th, Duggal Greenhouse, Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Also, if you haven’t yet filled out our community survey, there is still time! This survey is our chance to capture the voice of our community on the questions that matter most right now - the risks and accelerants shaping the industry, where we should focus to strengthen our advocacy, and what you want to learn from your peers at DERVOS.