Testimony on DTE Electric Company's Request for Expedited Approval of the Company’s Special Contracts with Google LLC

Client: Michigan Environmental Council, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Sierra Club

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD

June 2026

On behalf of Michigan Environmental Council, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Sierra Club, Principal Analyst Dr. Bryndis Woods filed testimony before the Michigan Public Service Commission regarding DTE Electric Company's Request for expedited approval of the Company’s "Special Contracts" with Google LLC to serve Google's planned 1.0 gigawatt data center facility in Van Buren Township, Michigan, which is scheduled to begin taking electric service from DTE in December 2027.

Dr. Woods’ direct testimony focuses on the Company’s proposed renewable energy and energy storage buildouts, issues with the Company’s customer benefit analysis, and provides recommendations to help ensure that the Company meets (1) its renewable energy and energy storage capacity goals consistent with utility planning best practices and (2) its Renewable Portfolio Standard obligations. Dr. Woods’ testimony also recommends that certain issues should not be decided in this case, such as cost allocations or resource predeterminations.

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Savings from Coal to Gas Conversion: Florida’s Northside 1 and 2

Client: Sierra Club

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD, Joshua R. Castigliego, Jordan Burt, PhD, and Bryndis Woods, PhD

April 2026

AEC-2026-04-WP-01

On behalf of Sierra Club, Principal Economist Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, Senior Researcher Joshua R. Castigliego, Researcher Jordan Burt, PhD, and Principal Analyst Bryndis Woods, PhD, prepared a white paper that investigates the potential cost savings associated with transitioning JEA’s Northside Generation Station to retire its coal-fired operations and run exclusively on natural gas. Using a simple model of annual expenses and revenues at the unit for the period 2026 to 2035, AEC compared net costs under a “business-as-usual” scenario in which the operations of recent historical years continue into the future with a “gas conversion” scenario in which full-time gas operations commence in 2030. Over the 10-year modeling period, elimination of all coal operations at Northside Units 1 and 2 result in a total savings of $122.8 million, or $51.9 million at Northside Unit 1 and $70.9 million at Unit 2. Northside Unit 1’s levelized costs fall by $11.4 per MWh and Unit 2’s by $8.5 per MWh.

A cost savings opportunity of this magnitude—approximately 12 percent reduction from current Northside 1 and 2 costs—deserves careful and transparent examination. Utility decisions regarding capital investments, maintaining aging infrastructure, and day-to-day operations must consider affordability and keep an open mind to new options for lowering costs. To achieve a successful conversion at Northside Units 1 and 2, AEC recommends that JEA conduct and publicly share a comparative analysis of its future operations (including all fixed, variable, and capital costs and financing) under current mixed fuel operations and under all gas operations. All assumptions, data, and methodologies should be fully transparent and made publicly available, and JEA’s analysis should also assess the conversion’s impact on rates and customer bills.

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Savings from Coal to Gas Conversion: Florida’s Deerhaven 2

Client: Sierra Club

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD, Joshua R. Castigliego, Jordan Burt, PhD, and Bryndis Woods, PhD

April 2026

AEC-2026-04-WP-02

On behalf of Sierra Club, Principal Economist Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, Senior Researcher Joshua R. Castigliego, Researcher Jordan Burt, PhD, and Principal Analyst Bryndis Woods, PhD, prepared a white paper that investigates the potential cost savings associated with transitioning Gainesville Regional Utilities’ (GRU) Deerhaven Generation Station to retire its coal-fired operations and run exclusively on natural gas. Using a simple model of annual expenses and revenues at the unit for the period 2026 to 2035, AEC compared net costs under a “business-as-usual” scenario in which the operations of recent historical years continue into the future with a “gas conversion” scenario in which full-time gas operations commence in 2030. Over the 10-year modeling period, elimination of all coal operations at Deerhaven Unit 2 results in a total savings $31.3 million (or a reduction in levelized costs of $7.4 per MWh).

A cost savings opportunity of this magnitude—approximately a 7 percent reduction from current Deerhaven Unit 2 costs—deserves careful and transparent examination. Utility decisions regarding capital investments, maintaining aging infrastructure, and day-to-day operations must consider affordability and keep an open mind to new options for lowering costs. To achieve a successful conversion at Deerhaven Unit 2, AEC recommends that GRU conduct and publicly share a comparative analysis of its future operations (including all fixed, variable, and capital costs and financing) under current mixed fuel operations and under all gas operations. All assumptions, data, and methodologies should be fully transparent and made publicly available, and GRU’s analysis should also assess the conversion’s impact on rates and customer bills.

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Comments Regarding STREAM’s Proposed Data Center

Client: Tonawanda Seneca Nation and Sierra Club Niagara Group

Author: Bryndis Woods, PhD 

April 2026

In January 2026, STREAM U.S. Data Centers, LLC (STREAM) applied to the Genesee County Economic Development Center to construct a 2.2 million square-foot data center campus in the Town of Alabama, New York, located in Genesee County. On behalf of Tonawanda Seneca Nation and Sierra Club Niagara Group, Senior Analyst Dr. Bryndis Woods drafted comments that address STREAM’s proposed data center, including its claimed costs and benefits for the local community. STREAM does not provide any supporting materials for its cost-benefit analysis (CBA), which fails to meet standards expected in a public decision-making process and is insufficient to determine whether the proposed project would provide net benefits for the local community.

Other key findings include:

• The project would require electric capacity that is about four times the total capacity currently operating in Genesee County.

• STREAM’s CBA results differ substantially from one CBA to the next.

• STREAM has failed to address numerous potential costs associated with the project.

• STREAM’s job creation estimates exceed values found in publicly available data and information.

• STREAM has requested tax abatements that are worth 25 times more than the benefits provided by the proposed PILOT/Host payments.

• Valuing data centers is challenging and complex.

• STREAM’s proposed data center may negatively impact local tourism and recreation, which are an integral part of the community and economy.

Errata:

On page 12 of the comments, it states that: "Empire State Development of New York State’s 2024 Tourism Economics Report found that, in Genesee County, visitors spent $144.5 million in 2024, generating about $331.1 million in direct personal income for county residents, creating about 11,000 direct jobs and about 5,000 indirect jobs, and generating $8.8 million in local tax revenue—equal to $665 in tax savings per household." This should read: "Empire State Development of New York State’s 2024 Tourism Economics Report found that, in Genesee County, visitors spent $144.5 million in 2024, generating about $46.8 million in direct personal income for county residents, creating 1,850 direct jobs and generating $8.8 million in local tax revenue—equal to $665 in tax savings per household." 

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Background Report: Evaluation of Connecticut Medical Protections

Client: Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority

Authors: Tanya Stasio, PhD, Sagal Alisalad, Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, Jordan Burt, PhD, Joshua R. Castigliego, and Bryndis Woods, PhD 

March 2026

On behalf of Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, Senior Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD, Researcher Sagal Alisalad, Principal Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, and AEC staff prepared a background report that evaluates Connecticut's electric and gas utility shutoff policies for medically protected customers. Most of Connecticut's medically protected customers have year-round shutoff protection and, as a result, maintain average arrearages that are thousands of dollars more than customers without medical protections. While limiting shutoff protections may increase utility revenues and reduce ratepayer costs, AEC finds that introducing payment or financial hardship requirements to Connecticut shutoff protections for medically protected customers could cost the State of Connecticut millions by way of increased need for social services. 

This report was included as an Appendix to Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority's Report to the General Assembly Regarding the Evaluation of Medical Protection available here.

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Assessing Ratepayer Risks of the Proposed Edisto Gas Plant in South Carolina

Client: Conservation Voters of South Carolina (CVSC)

Authors: Joshua R. Castigliego, Elisabeth Seliga, Jordan Burt, PhD, Sagal Alisalad, and Bryndis Woods, PhD

March 2026

On behalf of the Conservation Voters of South Carolina (CVSC), Senior Researcher Joshua R. Castigliego, Assistant Researcher Elisabeth Seliga, Researchers Jordan Burt, PhD and Sagal Alisalad, and Principal Analyst Bryndis Woods, PhD prepared a report that evaluates Santee Cooper and Dominion Energy South Carolina’s December 2025 Joint Application to build a new jointly owned, 2,180-MW natural gas-fired combined cycle generating facility—the proposed “Edisto Gas Plant” or Canadys Joint Resource—on the banks of the Edisto River. The report examines the risks that the project could pose to South Carolina ratepayers if approved by the South Carolina Public Service Commission.

In the report, AEC identifies three primary risks to ratepayers (i.e. the potential for electric customers to face higher costs) as a result of new gas-fired capacity like the proposed Edisto Gas Plant to meet increasing electric demand: (1) uncertain forecasts of customer demand, which could leave ratepayers paying for unused capacity; (2) higher-than-expected capital costs, including from construction delays and cost overruns; and (3) fuel price uncertainty, which can increase operating expenses and, ultimately, electric rates and customer bills. AEC's review of the Companies’ Joint Application reveals several significant concerns related to these risks.

Understanding risks to South Carolina ratepayers, individually and collectively, underscores the importance of prudent utility planning and the need for the Commission to carefully consider whether approving the Companies’ Joint Application for the proposed Edisto Gas Plant would expose ratepayers to unnecessary risk, particularly when alternative, lower-risk pathways may exist that the Companies have not fully evaluated.

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Testimony on Southwestern Public Service Company's (SPS) Application to Construct New Generation Facilities

Client: Sierra Club

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD

February 2026

On behalf of Sierra Club, Principal Analyst Dr. Bryndis Woods filed testimony before the Texas Public Utility Commission regarding SPS's Application to amend its Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) to construct eight new generation facilities totaling over 4,100 megawatts in Texas and New Mexico. 

Dr. Woods' direct testimony evaluates three issues in SPS’s Application: 1) the claim that additional generating capacity is needed to serve large-load interconnection requests; 2) the Company's approach to pursuing solar and wind resources; and 3) the potential impacts of the forthcoming expansion of SPS’s regional grid operator, Southwest Power Pool (SPP). Dr. Woods' recommendations included that the Commission require SPS: include only contractually committed new loads in its base load forecast; establish consumer protections for new large loads; utilize available surplus interconnection capacity to develop additional wind and solar projects; and assess the potential impacts of SPP's expansion.

Dr. Woods' cross-rebuttal testimony focused on additional issues in the proceeding, including that: SPS's Island Case modeling should not be used to make determinations regarding resource reliability; battery storage projects contribute significantly to grid reliability during extreme winter weather events; new gas pipeline capacity in the Permian Basin favors retirement of coal-fired units at the Tolk plant; and any extension of Tolk's coal-fired units would entail significant costs. 

Link to Direct Testimony

Link to Cross-Rebuttal Testimony

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Risks of New Gas-Fired Generation in Arizona

Client: Western Resource Advocates (WRA)

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Elisabeth Seliga, Alicia Zhang, Brady Dye, and Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD

February 2026

On behalf of Western Resource Advocates (WRA), a new AEC report assesses the risks associated with new gas-fired electric generation in Arizona.

The report finds that Arizona’s electric sector is dominated by gas-fired resources and much more gas-fired capacity is currently proposed. Arizona’s utilities claim that new gas-fired generation is needed to address reliability challenges and meet anticipated growth in electric demand. However, the report finds that building new gas-fired generation hurts reliability and exposes Arizona’s residents and ratepayers to six serious risks: 1) More gas generation means higher electric bills; 2) Overreliance on gas-fired generation; 3) High electric bills due to high gas prices; 4) Gas pipelines and storage constraints; 5) Growing electric demand; and 6) Human health and safety impacts.

The report concludes that, rather than furthering reliance on gas, Arizona’s utilities should instead prioritize resources that stand to benefit the state’s residents and ratepayers. Solar, wind, battery storage, energy efficiency, and demand-side management resources lower costs, diversify Arizona’s energy mix, are not reliant on fuel supply, and reduce pollution.

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Evaluating Load Management Strategies for a Net Zero Grid in Massachusetts

Client: Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER)

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD and Tanya Stasio, PhD

December 2025

On behalf of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), Principal Analyst Bryndis Woods, PhD and Senior Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD contributed to an assessment of load management potential in Massachusetts in futures aligned with deep decarbonization and the Commonwealth’s Climate and Clean Energy Plan (CECP) goals. The assessment was led by Energy + Environmental Economics (E3) and AEC supported by leading the development of resiliency and equity impacts of load management resource deployment and managing the advisory group and stakeholder sessions.

AEC managed a total of four advisory group meetings and two public stakeholder workshops between May and September 2025. AEC's analysis included the development of a Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) that identified disadvantaged communities in Massachusetts by assessing their vulnerability across ten measures (e.g. income, race/ethnicity, energy burden). We find that mindful design of programs to support load management strategies can improve outcomes for disadvantaged communities (e.g. reduced energy burden, reduced outages).

Link to Report

Link to DOER Project Webpage

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GreenRoots’ Pathway to Interconnection

Client: GreenRoots

Authors: Sagal Alisalad and Bryndís Woods, PhD

November 2025

On behalf of GreenRoots, Researcher Sagal Alisalad and Principal Analyst Bryndís Woods, PhD, prepared a report summarizing GreenRoots’ experience applying to interconnect three behind-the-meter (BTM) projects to the electric grid: 1) Chelsea City Hall (solar and storage), 2) Chelsea Police Department (solar and storage), and 3) Municipal Public Works Yard (rooftop solar). AEC examined the obstacles and complexities of the interconnection process for small- and medium-sized customers like GreenRoots. This analysis highlights how these barriers hinder a community’s ability to develop community-owned BTM resources.

AEC recommends that decision-makers, utilities, and communities collaborate to address barriers to interconnection in order to boost community resiliency, support the clean energy transition, help the Commonwealth reach its clean energy and emission reduction goals, and ensure energy systems in the Commonwealth benefit everyone.

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Equity Advisory Working Group Recommendations: Equity Metrics for the District of Columbia's Benefit-Cost Analysis Model and Stakeholder Engagement for Utility Planning

Client: Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (DC PSC)

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, Sagal Alisalad, Alicia Zhang, Jordan Burt, PhD, and Elisabeth Seliga

July 2025

On behalf of the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (DC PSC), AEC—together with our partner Visionary Leadership Group—convened and facilitated a seventeen-member Equity Advisory Working Group (EAWG) to recommend: 1) Criteria for designating Priority Populations in the District; 2) Racial equity, energy burden, and low- and moderate-income metrics for inclusion in the District’s evaluation framework for utility proposals; and 3) A stakeholder accountability process to facilitate local resident engagement and representation in utility proposal decision-making processes. EAWG members attended 10 meetings between January and May 2025. At each meeting, EAWG members were given presentations and supporting materials developed by AEC to ensure that all EAWG members had the information they required to make their recommendations, such as how BCAs work for proposed utility programs, or examples of  equity metrics from the publicly available literature. AEC was also responsive to requests from EAWG members, such as by designing and modifying priority population definitions, providing equity metric methods and data, and presenting map visualizations of how different priority population definitions capture different District communities. The report presents the EAWG’s 29 recommendations which—if adopted—will help ensure that social and racial equity are included in electric and gas utility planning processes and that the disproportionate and systemic harms related to the current energy system, climate change, and environmental injustice are considered and addressed for all District communities.

Errata: On page 55 of the report, it states that "15 percent of DC households are classified as low income." This should read "19 percent of DC households are classified as low income." On page 57 of the report, it state that "The District’s moderate-income households make more than $32,000 but less than $88,000—a group that includes 25 percent of households District-wide." This should read "The District’s moderate-income households make more than $32,000 but less than $88,000—a group that includes 32 percent of households District-wide."

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Amicus Curiae in the Case of Genesis B. v. United States Environmental Protection Agency

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

July 2025

Principal Economist Elizabeth A. Stanton led AEC Staff in drafting an amicus curiae brief submitted on appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California, No. 2:23-cv-10345, in the case of Genesis B. v. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Genesis plaintiffs (a group of 18 youths) argued that the EPA violated their right to equal protection of the law through discriminatory discounting of children’s lives when making environmental decisions.

In the brief, the amici curiae contend that discounting practices used by the EPA are detrimental to children and future generations, and that the dismissal of the case “reflects fundamental misunderstandings of the economics of discounting.” The Plaintiffs’ amended complaint challenged the EPA’s policy of positive social discounting, which privileges current adults while giving less weight to today’s children that will be affected by the harms of today’s environmental policies in the future. The brief concludes that the EPA’s current analyses do not give full weight to the long-term benefits of pollution reduction policies enacted now and advises the Court to reverse the District Court’s dismissal.

Signatories to the amicus curiae brief: Dr. Elizabeth A. Stanton, Dr. Eban Goodstein, Dr. Robin Hahnel, Dr. James K. Boyce, Dr. Gerald Epstein, Dr. Michael Ash, Dr. Bryndís Woods, Dr. Jordan Burt, and Dr. Tanya Stasio.

Link to Brief

News: Economists, physicians and legal scholars back kids climate lawsuit

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Basin Electric's Coal Fleet: Risks to Continued Operation and Opportunities for Replacement

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Joshua R. Castigliego, Jordan Burt, PhD, Elisabeth Seliga

Client: Western Organization of Resource Councils

June 2025

On behalf of the Western Organization of Resource Councils, this AEC report evaluates the risks associated with continued operation of Basin Electric’s coal-fired plants and outlines opportunities for replacement with lower-cost clean energy resources. The continued operation of Basin Electric’s coal plants entails important risks to Basin Electric, its members and members’ ratepayers, including risks presented by: 

1. Federal oversight: In 2019, Basin Electric became subject to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) oversight, which means Basin Electric is facing greater scrutiny of whether continued operation of its coal plants is most prudent for its members and their ratepayers. 

2. Competition in Southwest Power Pool (SPP): Basin Electric’s forthcoming full membership in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) risks that Basin Electric’s coal plants will operate less often because more of its coal generation will compete in every hour of the day with every other resource in SPP’s marketplace.

3. Environmental regulations: There are cost risks for Basin Electric’s coal-fired power plants related to new emission and pollution control technologies to comply with federal environmental regulations including: the Regional Haze Rule, the coal ash waste rules, and carbon pollution standards.

AEC finds that Basin Electric can hedge against risks to its coal-fired resources by taking advantage of cost-saving opportunities to replace coal resources with cheaper wind and solar resources—resources which become even more cost-effective when coupled with federal incentives, funding, and financing streams targeted specifically at electric cooperatives to pursue them. 

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Assessing U.S. Electric Grid Operators' Governance: Transparency, Accessibility, Accountability

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Deja Garraway, Alicia Zhang, PhD, Sagal Alisalad, Sumera Patel

Client: Slingshot

May 2025

On behalf of Slingshot (and their participation in the broader, grassroots Fix the Grid campaign in New England), this AEC report card utilized approximately 250 sources—including grid operator documents, research reports, and expert testimony—to develop and assign points across 34 metrics among three categories: 1) transparency is making information and materials publicly available; 2) accessibility is facilitating public awareness and involvement in grid operator processes; and 3) accountability is structuring governance and decision-making processes to incorporate viewpoints reflective of the diversity of the communities in each grid operator's territory. 

The primary finding of the report card is that none of the seven U.S. grid operators perform particularly well in any assessment category and there is considerable room for improvement across grid operators in terms of transparency, accessibility, and accountability. The highest overall grade was a C+ earned by CAISO due to its strong performance in the accountability category. The lowest overall grade was an F earned by ISO-NE due to its receiving a failing grade in the accessibility and accountability categories. The five remaining grid operators (PJM, MISO, SPP, ERCOT and NYISO) each received an overall grade ranging from C- to D-.

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Link to Workbook

News: Consumer Liaison Group Discusses ISO-NE’s Failing Accessibility Grade, June 4, 2025

News: ISO-NE should make its governance transparent, accessible and accountable, August 13, 2025

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Michigan City Generating Station Closure: Environmental Implications and Community Benefits

Client: Just Transition Northwest Indiana (JTNWI)

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, Deja Garraway, Lila McNamee, Sumera Patel, Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD

December 2024

On behalf of Just Transition Northwest Indiana (JTNWI), AEC assessed the retirement of Michigan City Generating Station (MCGS)—a 93-year-old coal-fired power plant located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan in Michigan City, Indiana. AEC's report presents the environmental and community impacts of MCGS' retirement, outlines opportunities for just and equitable redevelopment of the MCGS site, presents eight related case studies of coal plant redevelopment efforts, and makes five recommendations for a just transition for Michigan City to ensure that the communities most impacted by MCGS’ operations benefit from redevelopment. 

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Best Practices in Electric Sector Load Forecasting

Authors: Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, Alicia Zhang, Sagal Alisalad, Bryndis Woods, PhD

November 2024

This Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) white paper examines best practices of annual and peak electric demand forecasting and provides additional examples for South Carolina. AEC asserts that conventional load forecasting methods must be updated to reflect the rapid transformation of demand trends and real-word conditions. To address these concerns, AEC recommends eight best practices to ensure thorough, transparent, and accurate load forecasts: model and data transparency; emerging policies and technologies; large industrial loads; non-energy constraints; forecasting innovation; uncertainty analysis and multiple future scenarios; post-modeling adjustments; and stakeholder review. Adopting contemporary best practices in load forecasting benefits consumers, utilities and regulators with lower costs, increased reliability, and improved facilitation of state-mandated decarbonization plans.

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Energy Storage Equity: An Assessment of Three Massachusetts Programs

Client: Clean Energy Group

Authors: Tanya Stasio, PhD, Elisabeth Seliga, Bryndis Woods, PhD, and Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD

September 2024

On behalf of the Clean Energy Group (CEG), Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD, Assistant Researcher Elisabeth Seliga, Principal Analyst Bryndis Woods, PhD and Principal Economist Liz Stanton, PhD assessed equity provisions in three Massachusetts energy storage-incentivizing programs: the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program, the Clean Peak Standard, and ConnectedSolutions. AEC finds that three energy programs assessed lack mandates, targets and reporting requirements to support the Commonwealth’s commitment to equitable access to clean and efficient energy. AEC makes eight recommendations to better align Massachusetts’ energy storage programs with its equity commitments, as well as to draw on lessons learned and best practices from similar programs in other states.

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Illinois Adult Use Cannabis Industry Disparity Study

Client: Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office

Authors: Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, Bryndis Woods, PhD, Tanya Stasio, PhD, Jordan Burt, Deja Garraway, Nayantara Biswas, and Alannah Shute

July 2024

On behalf of the Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office, AEC assisted the Nerevu Group, LLC in preparing a disparity study to evaluate and assess existing discrimination within the State of Illinois cannabis industry. In particular, AEC staff reviewed public and private data sources to provide utilization, availability, and disparity analyses for the Illinois economy and the Illinois cannabis industry. AEC finds evidence of significant disparities in Illinois business ownership and wages across race/ethnicity and gender. Specifically, AEC finds that, compared to White men, racial and/or ethnic minorities and women are less likely to be business owners and have less access to capital through either hourly wages or bank loans.

To cultivate a more inclusive and equitable industry, Nerevu Group, LLC recommends broadening availability of financing for cannabis businesses, improved data management, consolidating of the Illinois regulatory structure, additional disparity studies, and more industry-state collaboration along with a set of administrative recommendations.

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Equity and Environmental Justice Guidance and Recommendations

Client: the Nature Conservancy

Author: Bryndis Woods, PhD

March 2024

On behalf of the Nature Conservancy (TNC), AEC Principal Analyst Bryndis Woods, PhD provided equity and environmental justice guidance and support to TNC Northeast (and New York) Division’s government relations staff. As part of this work, AEC provided an equity and environmental justice organization library and a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) library that includes DEIJ Action Plans, Implementation Guides, Strategy Frameworks, and other related equity, environmental and social justice materials. Informed by the results of AEC’s engagement with TNC staff, Dr. Woods made nine recommendations to guide TNC staff to center and prioritize equity and justice in their work.

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Distributed Energy Storage: The Missing Piece in North Carolina's Decarbonization Efforts

Client: Clean Energy Group (CEG)

Author: Tanya Stasio, PhD, Elisabeth Seliga, Deja Garraway, Bryndis Woods, PhD, Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD

December 2023

On behalf of the Clean Energy Group (CEG), Researcher Tanya Stasio, Assistant Researcher Elisabeth Seliga, Researcher Deja Torrence, Senior Researcher Bryndis Woods, and Senior Economist Elizabeth A. Stanton prepared a report that identifies distributed energy storage as the missing piece in North Carolina's decarbonization efforts. Distributed energy storage can provide load management to help meet peak electric demand and reduce the need for costly and polluting fossil fuel peaker plants. When paired with solar PV, distributed energy storage batteries can provide clean backup power to improve energy resilience while reducing home energy bills.

To support North Carolina’s decarbonization efforts and equity goals, this report makes three key policy recommendations for increasing incentives and lowering barriers to distributed energy storage deployment:

1. Approve and expand utility deployment of equitable distributed solar and distributed energy storage pilot programs.

2. Create statewide financial incentives for residential and community-based distributed solar and behind-the-meter battery installations.

3. Establish equity, climate, and energy performance-based metrics and targets for electric utilities.

Link to the Report

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