The growth of distributed generation and load requires utilities to prepare the distribution system to accommodate new load, maintain reliability, and minimize costs–necessitating a strong knowledge of grid assets–where they are, their condition, and how they’re connected to each other.
From DERs to CERs: What Australia’s Energy Transition Means for U.S. Regulators
With 30% rooftop solar penetration nationally (50% in the state of South Australia) Australia is living, at scale, the distributed energy resource (DER) transformation that many U.S. states can expect. In March 2026, the CHARGED Initiative—a collaboration between Advanced Energy United,
Lessons from the 2026 Charged Initiative Australia Study Tour
In March 2026, the CHARGED Initiative brought nine U.S. utility commissioners and staff on a study tour to Australia, a country that has developed a blueprint for managing an electricity grid led by distributed energy. Australia has the highest rooftop solar penetration in the world, and its utilities, regulators, and market operator have spent the …
What can US utility regulators learn from Australia’s distribution market?
Nearly two years ago, GridLab, Advanced Energy United, and RMI launched the CHARGED Initiative, a collaborative effort designed to help prepare the distribution system for electrification so that customers benefit from low costs and high reliability. The CHARGED team marked this anniversary of the growing program by leading a delegation of US state utility commissioners …
Charging Ahead with Electrification: A Proactive Investment Framework
As electrification accelerates and new loads are added to the distribution system, utilities need to invest in their networks in a cost-effective and timely manner. Traditional methods of forecasting load and determining what capacity is needed can cause delays in meeting customer needs and in revisiting those investments if they prove insufficient as load continues to grow.
Charging Ahead with Electrification: Flexible Grid Interconnection
The business-as-usual method of connecting load creates a grid that assumes all loads will be used at maximum capacity at some point and therefore is built for the most unlikely of extreme scenarios. Flexible grid connection offers a solution by empowering customers with options to connect new loads quickly, even in areas with capacity limitations.
Flexible Grid Connections Implementation Report
During the 2024 Inaugural Convening, one of the potential solutions identified as prime for further discussions was the development of flexible grid connection offerings. This report is the product of these discussions and the collaborative, multi-stakeholder working group effort to develop a comprehensive step-by-step resource for utilities and stakeholders to explore, evaluate, and implement flexible grid …
Flexible Grid Fact Sheet for Utilities
A quick-reference fact sheet answering utilities’ top questions about flexible grid connections. Learn what FlexGC is, how it differs from traditional connections, implementation steps, expected benefits, risk management strategies, and how to minimize costs while deploying static or dynamic connection methods.
Flexible Grid Fact Sheet for Regulators
A concise overview for regulators on how flexible grid connections can accelerate electrification while deferring infrastructure costs. This fact sheet outlines policy benefits, regulatory pathways (both docketed and informal), cost recovery considerations, and key questions around performance standards, equity, and customer incentives.
