Canary Media: This DOE-backed software is helping to unclog the grid

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Canary Media’s profile of GridUnity and Founder/CEO Brian Fitzsimons is subtitled: “GridUnity’s software can shave 12 months from the sluggish interconnection process that’s stalling clean power. A $50MDOE grant is helping it expand.”

The article goes on to say:

At a time when demand for electricity is booming, the ​“combination of spreadsheets, databases, workflow tools, and emails” that ISOs and utilities are using today just can’t handle the complexity of the necessary tasks, Fitzsimons said. Techniques meant to handle scores of projects per year aren’t able to keep up with the hundreds of projects grid operators now face.

To solve this problem, GridUnity ​“drives standardization across all parties,” he said — ​“not only standardization of process, but standardization of data structures, standardization of communications, standardization in the cost-estimation and cost-allocation process.”

Speeding and streamlining these processes — without sacrificing the accuracy and rigor required when dealing with gigawatts of electricity flowing across transmission grids — could be the most important near-term step that utilities and grid operators can take to alleviate wait times.

That’s crucial: These backlogs have become one of the biggest barriers to the construction of new cheap, clean energy — and, therefore, the phasing out of expensive, polluting fossil fuels.

Read the full article here.

Power-Grid International/Renewable Energy World: GridUnity selected to receive nearly $50M in federal funds for its solution to speed up interconnection

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GridUnity’s head of Sales Ashley Kelley and head of product strategy Robert Sherick were interviewed by Power-Grid International and Renewable Energy World about the just-announced $49.5 million grant awarded to the company under the GRIP program. From the article:

“Interconnection is really where the bottleneck is,” notices GridUnity head of sales Ashley Kelly. “Our software platform streamlines that process.”

“We’ve got a purpose-built solution focused on load and generation interconnection on both the transmission and distribution side,” expounds Sherick.

GridUnity’s Digital Integration for Grid Interconnection Tools, Analysis, and Logic (DIGITAL) project allows visibility of the full end-to-end process from pre-application to permission to operate. The company’s interconnection solution is among 38 projects chosen to receive funding through the Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovations Partnerships (GRIP) program. Nearly $2 billion in new awards spanning initiatives in 42 states and Washington, D.C. were announced today. The funding will go toward protecting the grid against growing threats of extreme weather, lowering electricity costs for communities, and increasing capacity to meet load growth stemming from the recent rise of manufacturing, data centers, and electrification.

DOE received applications requesting more than seven times the funding available in this round, even after doling out $3.5B for 58 projects last October and $2.2B more in August of this year.

“We kind of appreciate the fact that it was highly competitive and that lots of folks are looking for federal funding,” Sherick offers.

Read the full article on Power-Grid International or Renewable Energy World.

E&E News: DOE delivers $2B to expand grid for renewables, extreme weather

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Politico’s E&E News reported on the news of the massive new tranche of GRIP funding, saying:

“The Department of Energy on Friday announced nearly $2 billion in funding for transmission projects nationally, marking a key step in the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen the electricity grid in the face of climate change and rising power demand.”

“With these projects, we’re investing in resilience,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on a call with reporters ahead of the announcement. “We’re deploying software to improve interconnection queues, and we’re meeting rising energy demand including from data centers,” she said.

“Boston-based GridUnity is aiming to deploy software streamlining the interconnection process in grid areas covering 70 percent of the U.S. population. A lack of interconnection points has been a challenge for many renewable projects, creating backlogs in swaths of the country.”

Read the full article here.

Utility Dive: DOE selects nearly $2B in projects for grid resilience funding

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Utility Dive today covered the news of the third tranche of GRIP awards, which included $49.5 million to our DIGITAL project to streamline and speed grid interconnection. The article says that:

“The projects will boost transmission capacity by more than 7.5 GW, accelerate interconnection for clean energy and spark over $4.2 billion in public and private investment, according to DOE.”

and

“Selected projects include: $50 million for GridUnity, which will use cloud computing and other advanced processes to speed up the grid interconnection process around the United States. DOE expects the project will cut interconnection times by more than a year on average.”

Read the full article here. 

Power Grid International: Southern California Edison selects GridUnity for load connection

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PowerGrid International recently covered GridUnity’s partnership with Southern California Edison, saying:

GridUnity, a provider of cloud-based interconnection and energy analytics for utilities and transmission service providers, announced that Southern California Edison (SCE) has selected its Interconnection Life Cycle Management (ILCM) platform.

As one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, SCE delivers power to 15 million people in 50,000 square miles across central, coastal and Southern California.

Read the full article here.

GridUnity Sponsors GridTECH Connect California June 24-26, 2024

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GridUnity: Platinum Sponsor of GridTECH Connect Forum California 2024GridUnity is a platinum sponsor of GridTECH Connect California, taking place in Newport Beach. GridUnity CEO Brian Fitzsimons will moderate the panel on Navigating interconnection through CAISOs new process and Robert Sherick will host a peer-to-peer roundtable on Unifying tools, processes, and stakeholders for efficient interconnection in California and beyond. 

Register using the GridUnity code for 20% off: SPONINV

Learn more and register on the GridTECH Connect website.

Renewable Energy World & PowerGrid International: Southwest Power Pool selects GridUnity for interconnection life cycle management

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Renewable Energy World and PowerGrid International wrote about Southwest Power Pool choosing the GridUnity platform for interconnection, cluster study management, and infrastructure coordination, saying:

“The GridUnity cloud solution runs on AWS and is meant to help streamline communication, support transparent processes, track activity commitments, and ensure accountability for the end-to-end interconnection life cycle. This platform includes multiple groups within each organization as well as third-party contractors that are used to augment and support components of the interconnection process.”

Read the full article here.

BNN: Southwest Power Pool Integrates GridUnity Platform to Boost Renewable Energy Interconnections

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BNN Breaking wrote about Southwest Power Pool choosing the GridUnity platform for interconnection, cluster study management, and infrastructure coordination, saying:

“Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the pivotal Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) orchestrating the central United States’ electrical grid, has taken a significant leap forward in renewable energy integration. By adopting GridUnity’s advanced Interconnection Life Cycle Management (ILCM) platform, SPP aims to revolutionize the efficiency, transparency, and management of generation interconnections. This collaboration, spotlighted at the recent DISTRIBUTECH International event, underscores a shared commitment by GridUnity and AWS to foster renewable energy growth.”

“As the world moves towards a more sustainable and renewable energy-dominated future, initiatives like the integration of GridUnity’s ILCM platform by SPP are pivotal. By enhancing the efficiency and transparency of the generation interconnection process, SPP is not only facilitating the growth of renewable energy but also ensuring that the grid remains secure and reliable for its users. This initiative, highlighted at the DISTRIBUTECH International event, represents a significant step forward in the journey towards a cleaner, more sustainable energy landscape.”

Read the full article here.

Improved Application Process Streamlines Interconnection of New Distributed Energy Resources for PG&E Customers

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PG&E today announced an improvement to their interconnection application process enabled by GridUnity’s Interconnection Lifecycle Management software. This improvement follows a 2020 hosting capacity refresh using GridUnity’s Hosting Capacity Analysis software, which increased available DER interconnection capacity by almost 400%.

According to PG&E:

These new and improved features now give our customers a direct line-of-sight into grid data and real-time project status, making it simpler and more intuitive for applicants to take action and move projects forward,” said Joe Bentley, senior vice president, electric engineering, PG&E. “We’re providing deeper data and greater transparency for our customers to make the most informed decisions that help bring right-sized renewable energy resources onto the grid in the right places. Ultimately that maximizes the use of our customer-funded infrastructure, significantly contributes to system reliability, and helps California reach its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2045.

Read the full article on PG&E Currents here.

Hawaiian Electric expands online platform to make it easier for customers to sign up for electrical service. Tool will guide customers and contractors through application process

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HONOLULU, March 17, 2022 – Customers submitting applications for a range of electrical services can now complete the process entirely online using a Hawaiian Electric interactive webtool that allows them to track the progress of their requests in real time.

The Customer Interconnection Tool (CIT) is an intuitive, web-based platform that seamlessly guides customers and contractors through all steps of the application process. Applicants can use the tool to request new service, modify existing service, remove service, or make other service requests. The tool’s user-friendly interface will improve the customer experience and reduce the potential for errors during the application process.

“We’re excited to offer customers this innovative tool that will simplify and streamline the process for submitting electrical service requests from start to finish,” said Joseph Viola, senior vice president for customer, legal and regulatory affairs. “The CIT platform makes it easier for customers to interact with us and stay on top of their projects through every stage of the application process.”

Hawaiian Electric began using CIT in 2017 to process applications for rooftop solar projects. The platform is now being expanded to include applications for most other electrical services. Customers who register for a CIT account will have access to their own project management center that allows them to track their project as various milestones are reached. The platform maintains a history of all correspondence related to a customer’s project.

The tool allows customers to submit all their information online, including documents such as site plans and single-line diagrams. The platform reduces the need for Hawaiian Electric staff to manually enter customer information into the company database.

We couldn’t be prouder of this successful launch. Click here to read the Hawaiian Electric press release in full.