Historically, the timing, magnitude, and location of demand in electrical grids was easy to forecast, and the supply was highly controllable. With the growth in variable renewable energy, distributed energy resources, and electrification of buildings and transportation, this is no longer the case.

Seattle City Light is well along the pathway toward an electrified future, and despite having a 96% carbon free baseload we have a long way to go to meet our collective goals. As a utility provider we’re embracing the transition opportunities ahead, while recognizing our role has shifted from simply keeping the lights on to powering much more in our daily lives through partnerships, equity, grid modernization, and transportation and building electrification.

There is an evolution in how distributed energy resources (DERs) provide power and energy. In the last decade, DERs have become the most cost-effective source of new power in many markets. DER technologies are primed to take over a larger share of grid supply infrastructure.

Distribution grids are becoming complex and managing them with traditional approaches is increasingly untenable. On the one hand, the exponential adoption of DERs such as rooftop solar, home batteries and EVs is dramatically altering power consumption (and production) patterns.