Microgrid Resources Coalition Reorganizes as Independent Non-Profit to Promote Essential Role of Microgrids in Clean and Resilient Energy Infrastructure

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Focused on breaking down barriers for resilient and clean microgrids across North America, the Microgrid Resources Coalition (MRC) today announced that it has reorganized as an independent non-profit entity to further strengthen its role as the leading national advocacy organization for microgrid deployment.

As the U.S. aggressively moves to combat and adapt to climate change, microgrids offer proven technologies and a safe, resilient, and clean alternative to traditional resources such as diesel backup generation. In addition to achieving customer-driven decarbonization, sustainability, and other climate policy goals, microgrids can empower communities to achieve greater resiliency and energy independence if the proper frameworks facilitate interaction with distribution utilities and the wholesale grid. MRC will advocate for new business models that value customer-based resilient distributed resources. 

The founding members of the newly formed non-profit include innovation and energy project developers Schneider Electric, ENGIE North America, and Scale Microgrid Solutions, technology and service providers Bloom Energy, Icetec Energy Services and Mainspring Energy, and microgrid owners and operators including Princeton University. The MRC's members have been actively engaged in developing and operating microgrids throughout the United States for decades.

"The MRC is the critical industry voice for microgrids in U.S. regulatory and legislative arenas. Natural disasters and climate change are challenging the grid across the country. To deliver the clean, cost-effective, resilient, and safe power grid of the future, it is essential to optimize industry insight to evolve thinking around grid infrastructure and operation," said Shea Hughes, Director of Business Development at Scale Microgrid Solutions. "The MRC is leading this essential work and bringing together expert stakeholders to innovate, educate, and empower communities with distributed energy resources."

A microgrid is a local energy grid with control capability that can operate with the traditional grid or disconnect from it and operate autonomously. Among their many benefits, microgrids enable highly efficient use of resources to decarbonize the production of electricity in communities and buildings while providing resilient, flexible electricity generation during extreme weather events and other crises when the grid is unavailable. Microgrids use local energy resources and create local jobs, and their distributed nature diversifies and reduces overall grid operational and security risk compared to centralized power.

"With recent power outages in Texas and California, it's increasingly clear that reactive solutions alone are insufficient to combat climate change and ensure our clean energy future. Microgrids provide customers and utilities with a key resilient energy solution capable of simultaneously benefiting communities and the electric system as a whole," said Jeff Morris, Senior Director of Government Relations at Schneider Electric. "Continuing efforts to better align the interests of utilities and ratepayers is essential to realizing the full benefit of microgrids. The advocacy and education efforts of the MRC are squarely focused on that objective."

About The Microgrid Resources Coalition

The MRC is a consortium of microgrid owners, operators, developers, suppliers, and investors formed to advance microgrids through advocacy for laws, regulations, and tariffs that support their access to markets, compensate them for their services, and provide a level playing field for their deployment and operations. Founded in 2014, the group was previously supported by the International District Energy Association (IDEA). The MRC is active today in multiple advocacy initiatives throughout the United States. For additional information, please e-mail [email protected].

SOURCE Microgrid Resources Coalition