Search Energy Center

As increasingly large and intense California wildfires cause power outages or pre-emptive shutdowns for safety, affected communities are looking for more options to keep the lights on.

Energy storage for resilience in California presents challenges for commercial customers looking to justify the significant investment. Many of the engineering obstacles can be overcome through cooperative approaches and creative system configurations.

Energy use in buildings consumes nearly 70% of California's electricity. The Center for Sustainable led a multiyear energy efficiency project at three San Diego libraries to create a blueprint for helping municipal and small commercial buildings reach the goal of zero net energy (ZNE).
 

Instead of motivating utilities to sell more power, why not reward them for supporting clean energy goals? As more states consider changing how utilities can turn a profit, CSE adviser Steve Weissman outlines the opportunities and challenges of performance-based ratemaking.

Since the “modern” era of electric vehicles (EVs) began in 2009, limited awareness of and access to charging have created real and perceived barriers to broad adoption. Put simply, drivers won’t get EVs until it’s easy, quick and cheap to charge them.

Massachusetts was one of the first states to adopt a comprehensive program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Getting more electric vehicles (EVs) on the road is part of the strategy. The Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) has used its experience managing statewide EV incentive programs to develop and administer the Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicle (MOR-EV) program.

Rural and disadvantaged communities face some of the same challenges as any region in deploying electric vehicle charging infrastructure. They need to raise awareness, increase affordability, reduce range anxiety, provide funding and streamline permitting. These communities also face challenges that require unique approaches.

The Center for Sustainable Energy, along with project partners Tesla and Olivine, demonstrated the ability to bid five behind-the-meter (BTM) energy storage systems into the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) wholesale energy and ancillary service markets.

A major barrier to widespread electric vehicle (EV) adoption is the lack of public and workplace EV charging infrastructure. Federal funding to spur economic recovery and infrastructure development could help states overcome this barrier. Making the best use of funding will require a data-driven approach.