- Increases capacity of the distribution grid by 1 GW by 2030 to support building and vehicle electrification, including enabling 492,000 more EVs and 84,000 more electric heat pumps.
- Expands system capacity by nearly 3 GW by 2035, to support the connection of 3 GW more solar and storage to the grid and EV charging along
- Enables more than 31.3 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emission reductions.
- Leverages energy efficiency, distributed energy resources and demand response to manage costs and defer investments through innovative non-wire alternative (NWA) solutions.
- Proposes a program offering to avoid costs and enhance resiliency for income-eligible customers through use of batteries to create a virtual power plant (VPP).
- Commits to increased stakeholder engagement and outreach, with a focus on environmental justice communities, through the launch of a new Equity and Environmental
- Supports more than
The plan outlines a path to upgrade and expand the capacity of the electric distribution grid, ensure reliability, accelerate the connection of more solar, storage and electrified heating and transportation, empower smart customer choices, and enable a just and equitable transition away from a fossil-based economy. The plan details
The company submitted an initial draft of this Future Grid Plan to the
"We are committed to being at the heart of the clean, fair, and affordable energy transition and meeting
A Focus on Smarter, Stronger, Cleaner Energy Goals
Meeting the Commonwealth's climate and clean energy goals will require the connection of large amounts of new, clean energy resources to the electric grid and the accelerated adoption of clean, electrified technologies by customers statewide. By 2050, the electric distribution system will be the primary fuel network powering the economy and everyday life. Achieving this requires a smarter, stronger, and cleaner grid and policy changes, including permitting and siting reform and anticipatory planning, to enable proactive investments that:
- Empower customers to make the smart, clean energy choices that work for them and accelerate electrification to meet the 2050 CECP goals, which include more than 80% of home heating systems and 97% of all passenger vehicles to be electrified;
- Create a ready, reliable, and more resilient grid capable of withstanding increasingly extreme weather and enabling the quicker connection of solar, storage, and electrified buildings and transportation;
- Drive increased energy efficiency through new innovations, and support non-wire alternatives (NWAs) to defer or avoid system build-out; and
- Enable a more just and equitable energy future that benefits all.
"Our Future Grid Plan is innovative, customer-centric, and equity-focused to ensure customers and communities across our diverse service area can participate in and benefit from the clean and electrified energy future, while providing high quality service and reliability," said Medalova.
Three Key Areas of Investment
Over the next five years, the company proposes to invest approximately
- Network Infrastructure Investments: To proactively meet significant increases in forecasted loads and capacity needs driven by policies to accelerate electrification and distributed energy resource (DER) deployment, including local solar and storage. This includes upgrading and expanding 13 existing substations and undertaking 14 distribution feeder projects by 2030 to make the system stronger and increase capacity in areas where projected overloads and constraints have been identified.
- Communication and Technology Platform Investments: To leverage data and state-of-the art monitoring systems to make the system smarter and meet evolving customer needs. These technologies will provide two-way information flows for visibility into how grid-connected devices are operating, enable expanded use of NWAs, and leverage technology that can minimize disruptions, including systems that detect outages early and enable the immediate rerouting of electricity.
- Customer Program Investments: To enhance the customer experience and drive adoption of clean, electrified, and efficient energy solutions, including advancement of VPPs. This includes supplementing a program offering supported by a federal grant that provides battery storage for select income-eligible customers that can be used during times of constrained electric load, deferring potential upgrades while increasing resiliency for homes and entire neighborhoods, and expanding managed charging programs for EV drivers that will both save money for customers and reduce peak electric demand on the grid.
The investments proposed in this Future Grid Plan are projected to have an average annual impact of 0.6 percent over the five-year investment period.
Equity, Transparency, and Affordability
Centered on affordability and equity, the plan is designed to meet the state's climate goals based on transparent, data-driven, proactive distribution system planning. The plan is designed to ensure that the most cost-effective solutions are implemented, that customer owned DERs can help meet reliability needs and defer system upgrades, and that economic opportunity is generated for all. The plan does this by:
- Conducting more than 2,000 different scenarios of future electric load growth to prioritize investment plans so the company is building only what is needed, when it is needed to meet the state's climate and clean energy goals.
- Pursuing NWAs to defer investments in new infrastructure and deploying communication and technology platforms that will support the expanded use of NWAs into the future.
- Expanding the company's strategic Workforce Development Program to ensure a ready, available, and skilled workforce, with a focus on creating opportunities for traditionally underrepresented communities.
- Proposing a
- Launching a
Next Steps
The DPU will review the plan through a formal regulatory process that includes opportunity for public comment and intervention. This process is anticipated to take seven months, after which the DPU will issue an order approving, rejecting, or modifying the plan. The plan, a summary, fact sheet and related information, can be found on the National Grid Future Grid web page.
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