Advisory Services Contact Us Advisory Services Current Projects Multi-Client Projects Federal Funding Opportunities Our Focus Clients and Projects Past Clients We work with a diverse community of utilities and utility partners to help them create solutions that meet their business needs and satisfy their customers. Here is a partial list of our past clients. Sample Past Projects Voices of Experience: Microgrids for Resiliency Learn More Project Details The Situation: The Voices of Experience initiative was launched by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Grid Research group (DOE|AGR) to capture the experiences, insights and lessons learned from the utilities at the forefront of implementing emerging technologies. The Process: In this project, SEPA has developed and facilitated a series of in person and virtual workshops with over 500 participants on a variety of topics, including: In-person meetings: December 10, 2019—Steering Committee Kickoff Meeting in Washington, DC February 20, 2020 – Regional Workshop in Boston, MA February 26, 20200—Regional Workshop in Denver, CO Virtual Events: April 15, 2020—Multi-Stakeholder Process: What’s the Utility’s role? April 21, 2020—Pilot to Programs: Developing Programs and Executing Contracts for Win-Win Microgrid Projects April 29, 2020—Evaluating the Intersection of Microgrids, Renewables and Resiliency April 30, 2020—Roles and Responsibilities of Utility Procurement, Contract Execution and Project Development May 5, 2020—The Foundation for Future Microgrid Interconnection Standards May 6, 2020—Partnering with the Community on Resiliency Planning for Major Disasters May 13, 2020—Microgrids as a Tool for Wildfire Resiliency (SEPA Webinar) The outcome: Results of the project were analyzed and presented in a final report and compendium released in 2021. They include working definitions, case studies from utilities such as Tennessee Valley Authority, and how microgrids can make economic sense. SEPA completed the project under budget. District of Columbia Public Service Commission (DCPSC): Grid Modernization Stakeholder Engagement Project Details The Situation: DCPSC sought to gather stakeholder input and recommendations for advancing their grid modernization initiative, Modernizing the Energy Delivery System for Increased Sustainability (MEDSIS). The Process: In executing phase 1, SEPA conducted a technical conference to determine the appropriateness of a system assessment and to identify the appropriate working groups for phase 2 of the project. For phase 2, SEPA facilitated six working groups over a ten-month period and engaged with a diverse group of over 240 stakeholders which included District residents, advocacy groups, utilities, government organizations, and other industry groups. The six MEDSIS working groups are listed below and full descriptions can be found here. MEDSIS Working Groups: Data Information Access and Alignment Non-wires Alternatives to Grid Investments Rate Design Customer Impact Microgrids Pilot Projects The Outcome: SEPA developed and submitted the MEDSIS Stakeholder Working Group Report with 32 actionable recommendations for the Commission’s consideration. The report includes a comprehensive look at the District’s energy delivery system addressing enhanced distribution system planning, microgrid regulatory frameworks, innovative rate design, enhanced customer engagement and education, data access and availability, and other topics related to grid modernization in the District. Madison Gas & Electric (MGE): Community Solar Program Design and Implementation Planning Project Details The Situation Madison Gas & Electric wanted a community solar option that was desirable from a customer and a regulatory perspective. The Process SEPA conducted market research and then designed several pricing and transactional models for consideration by MGE. Once a model was selected, SEPA developed an implementation plan for rollout with MGE’s service territory. The Outcome The resulting shared solar program was approved by the public utility commission. The program was full-subscribed and a waitlist was filled before construction was completed. SEPA completed the project on-time and within budget. Northwestern Energy: Clean Energy Pilot Stakeholder Engagement and Program Design Project Details The Situation Northwestern Energy wanted to leverage $2 million from its capital expenditure budget to create clean energy pilot programs within its service territory. The Process After conducting market research within Northwestern Energy’s service territory, SEPA identified potential pilot programs for pursuit by Northwestern Energy. Next, SEPA developed and led a series of six educational and planning workshops to discuss the merit of clean energy projects in the following areas: advanced inverter deployment advanced metering infrastructure innovative rate design energy storage EV charging station ownership microgrids The Outcome Following the SEPA’s stakeholder engagement process, Northwestern Energy selected a pilot program for development. SEPA completed this project on-time and within budget. Governor’s Office of Puerto Rico: Technical Assistance for “Build Back Better: Reimagining and Strengthening the Power of Puerto Rico.” Project Details The Situation The Puerto Rico Energy Resiliency Group (led by New York Power Authority) sought to develop a report that provided an assessment of hurricane damage, described a new system design base, and provided recommendations for redesigning and rebuilding Puerto Rico’s power grid. The Process Our team conducted due diligence on the critical infrastructure layout of Puerto Rico in order to propose potential siting for microgrids across the island and the team developed associated budgetary requirements for such an effort. Activities in this effort included: stakeholder coordination gathering real-time data on critical facility locations and status microgrid economic modeling for resiliency purposes The Outcome Our team provided potential microgrid applications and budget requirements as part of the final report to Congress. Our services were executed on-time and within budget. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): Rate Reform Stakeholder and Customer Engagement Project Details The Situation In response to a contested mandatory rate schedule, TVA and Glasgow EPB (a local power company in the TVA territory) sought to create an open dialogue with their customers. The Process Our Advisory Services team created and delivered a customer open house. From this effort, the team incorporated feedback and coordinated meetings to ensure the path forward was supported by all parties. The Outcome SEPA provided an executive summary of the effort and recommended next steps to TVA and Glasgow EPB. The rate reforms designed by our team were presented to the board and later approved.
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