Welcome to the All Things DER podcast! In this podcast, we’ll be digging in, defining, and discussing where the new energy economy is heading with electric industry leaders, and explore all the ways that distributed energy resources can modernize and improve our ever-evolving power grid.
In today’s episode, we’re talking with Dr. Nick Jewell, the Group Leader of Electric Distribution Emerging Technology Engineering at Louisville Gas & Electric. We discuss the impact the rapid increase in electric vehicles and other DER may have on the power grid, and how strategic planning can smooth this transition. From an innovative solar program to working cooperatively with local companies, we dig into a variety of ways to identify new opportunities and limit potential threats to the ever-increasing DER demands on the power grid.
Here’s what you’ll discover:
- How DER affects all facets of a vertically integrated company, and how to make this an asset
- Why Kentucky lags behind neighboring states in adoption of DER, and how this presents a unique opportunity for strategic planning
- What LG&E’s Solar Share community project is, and how this enables customers to take advantage of solar energy, even if their HOA doesn’t allow for installation on individual homes
- Why DER can cause reverse power flows, and how to find creative solutions to this potential issue
- How electric vehicles may be the next greatest rapid electrification of fleets, and how to creatively handle the potential issues of bi-directional charging
- Why LG&E is beginning to forecast DER separately than the mail load, and how this allows them to look at the grid more holistically