Commission hears update on reliability and resiliency studies; consultants present avoided‑cost, resilience valuation work

At a meeting of the Utilities Advisory Commission, staff and outside consultants updated commissioners on the Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan and the three studies that will feed a final set of program recommendations later this year.

The studies consist of (1) an avoided supply‑cost and resiliency valuation analysis led by BureauHapold with Alternative Energy Systems Consulting (AESC); (2) a distribution‑level benefits study (originally scoped with a different vendor and now under E3) to estimate whether customer‑side flexible technologies can reduce or defer distribution investments; and (3) an airport microgrid study that Burns & McDonnell is conducting for the City’s airport and that also provides neighborhood‑microgrid modeling. Staff said the supply and resiliency components are expected to be largely complete by late spring, with integration and a final report in the fall; the distribution and airport microgrid work will follow on a similar spring‑to‑summer schedule.

Why it matters: the studies aim to answer whether Palo Alto should move beyond barrier reduction and outreach and instead offer incentives, technical assistance or more staff‑intensive programs to promote technologies such as solar plus storage, EV…