Contact: Scott Bolden, 202-898-8083, sbolden@naruc.org

New NARUC Publishes New Smart Grid Interoperability Report

WASHINGTON (April 21, 2020) — A new report from the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners outlines roles, responsibilities and actions state regulators may consider in their review of utility proposals for investments in smart grid technologies. Smart Grid Interoperability: Prompts for State Regulators to Engage Utilities aims to assist the regulator in reviewing utility proposals and investments of new and emerging technologies.

Developed by NARUC’s Center for Partnerships & Innovation, in partnership with Plugged In Strategies LLC, the report was developed as a companion piece to NARUC’s forthcoming Smart Grid Interoperability Learning Modules.

“NARUC’s Smart Grid Interoperability: Prompts for State Regulators to Engage Utilities provides a useful framework for important discussions to help ensure sound electric utility investments for consumers,” said Commissioner Matthew Schuerger of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.

As technologies proliferate across the electricity network, interoperability is increasing in importance to enable communication, coordination and integration of more components essential to the network — some of which may not be owned by the utility. Interoperability is a means to ensure that operational network components work collaboratively and efficiently with each other.

“If you are curious on how to approach interoperability or what kinds of questions to ask the utility, this guide will help you think about how to approach your unique utility,” added Commissioner Beth Trombold of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

The report, co-authored by CPI Senior Manager Kerry Worthington and Chris Villarreal from Plugged In Strategies LLC, is available at https://bit.ly/NARUCSmartGrid.

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About NARUC

NARUC is a non-profit organization founded in 1889 whose members include the governmental agencies that are engaged in the regulation of utilities and carriers in the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. NARUC's member agencies regulate telecommunications, energy, and water utilities. NARUC represents the interests of state public utility commissions before the three branches of the Federal government.