The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) is considering a proposal to expedite approvals for certain utility pilot projects to encourage innovation and enable utilities to get up to speed more quickly. The rationale behind the proposal is to help utilities decarbonize their operations more rapidly and support Michigan’s ambitious goal of achieving economy-wide carbon neutrality. The state plans to reduce heat trapping emissions 28 percent by 2025 and 52 percent by 2030 below 2005 levels, and to become carbon neutral by 2050.
Rethinking the role of innovative pilots is an exciting development, because most utilities have not yet fully supported, let alone adopted, the technologies needed to reduce emissions. For instance, pilots can help utilities learn how to effectively integrate distributed energy storage, including batteries installed in ratepayers’ homes, which…