Research

Microgrids Industry Update: RE+ Microgrids 2025

SEPA convened industry stakeholders at RE+ Microgrids to discuss advancing microgrid deployment in the United States.
This brief includes keys to barriers, potential solutions, and next steps to advance microgrid deployment.
Participants identified utility perception and regulatory misalignment as major deployment barriers.
Leading states support microgrid tariffs, resilience mandates, and cross-agency resilience coordination.

To unlock broader microgrid adoption, customer and grid benefits must be clearly quantified and monetized, in both blue-sky (typical) and black sky (emergency) operating conditions. Utilities, project developers, and regulators must develop a common understanding of standardized approaches to valuing microgrid benefits to allow for more widespread integration of microgrids into system planning and procurement processes.

In March 2025, the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), RE+ Events, EMerge Alliance, and Microgrids Resources Coalition (MRC) convened developers, utilities, policymakers, and community organizations at a workshop during the 2025 RE+ Microgrids conference in New Orleans. This briefing summarizes insights from that workshop on advancing microgrid deployment across the United States.

Authors and Contributors:

Jared Leader, Senior Director, Research & Industry Strategy, Smart Electric Power Alliance
Weston Dengler, Senior Analyst, Research & Industry Strategy, Smart Electric Power Alliance
Mac Keller, Manager, Research & Industry Strategy, Smart Electric Power Alliance