Imagine a possible future in which distributed energy resources have become competitive with grid power in price and performance. In this future, solar panels, batteries, smart appliances and a host of other technologies are all selling well, helping customers produce, store and use electricity more efficiently, reducing the amount they buy from their utility.
Now imagine you are a utility executive or regulator in that future. You have two strategic options facing you.
In one, utilities evolve to play a major role in using distributed energy resources (DERs) to provide services to their customers, with a major presence in sourcing, financing and operation.
