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Stakeholders press PSC on aggregators, equity, measurement and scale for DRIVE Act pilots
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Summary
Industry groups, consumer advocates and state agencies urged the Public Service Commission to clarify aggregator participation, LMI inclusion, measurement & verification standards, and whether and how pilots should scale to include commercial/industrial customers and grid injection.
At a Maryland Public Service Commission hearing on utility DRIVE Act filings, a broad group of stakeholders — trade associations, manufacturers, clean energy organizations, aggregators and the Office of People’s Counsel — urged the regulator to strengthen pilot design by clarifying aggregator roles, equity provisions for low‑ and moderate‑income customers, measurement and verification (M&V) standards, and the path to scale.
What stakeholders said: Solar United Neighbors, Sunrun, Tesla, Advanced Energy United and WeaveGrid supported swift pilot deployment but urged standardization across utilities for event notice, performance thresholds and compensation mechanics. Tesla and Sunrun urged explicit authorization of export (grid injection) for batteries paired with solar, noting many existing systems already export under interconnection terms. Solar and consumer groups pressed for concrete LMI strategies — including upfront incentives, leasing/third‑party ownership models and targeted outreach — so underbanked households can participate.
CPower and other aggregators argued commercial/industrial (C&I) customers represent a large, readily‑available pool of megawatts and should not be excluded; they said inclusion would accelerate procurement of capacity and non‑wires solutions and reduce the need for costly transmission and distribution upgrades.
The Office of People’s Counsel and technical experts recommended that the utilities refile proposals with additional detail on goals, M&V metrics and commitments to enable third‑party aggregators in a competitive marketplace, rather than approving the filings as submitted. Staff recommended more frequent reporting, closer PC‑44 collaboration on TOU marketing and evaluation, and that utilities file additional DERMS/AMI implementation reports required by prior PSC orders before broad approval.
Why it matters: The DRIVE Act envisions a marketplace of aggregators and DERs delivering distribution‑level services. Stakeholders warned that without clearer rules governing aggregator access, data transparency and equitable access, pilots risk producing limited or non‑transferable learnings. Several parties proposed standard program elements — 24‑hour event notice, 75–80% performance thresholds, explicit $/kW benchmarks — to reduce customer confusion and create a more competitive market for DER aggregation.
Next steps: The PSC and staff are expected to weigh whether to accept the utilities’ filings as filed, direct additional reporting and condition approval on clearer M&V, aggregator access and LMI protections, or require refiling with the revised commitments stakeholders seek.
