Microgrids poised to make difference in our electric system
by Peter Rosegg | Feb. 15, 2022
You may have heard the word ”microgrid” in discussions about Hawaii’s energy future. With growing concern about resilience and reliability in the face of climate change and other challenges, you’ll definitely be hearing more about microgrids.
Like a traditional, centralized electric grid, a microgrid is able to generate, distribute and regulate the supply of electricity to customers, but locally on a smaller scale. Microgrids can be more flexible in meeting the need for continuous electric power for certain customers in an emergency.
Hawaii already has working microgrids. Schofield Generating Station, a Hawaiian Electric plant, can separately power up a microgrid consisting of Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield and Field Station Kunia during a major outage. This could be essential for national defense or in a local emergency when military assistance is needed. As a bonus, the plant operates on 100% locally refined biodiesel.
An online article in microgridknowledge.com notes, “Community microgrids offer a way for neighborhoods, villages, towns and cities to meet their energy needs locally. Some make a community’s electricity more reliable and green; others serve critical facilities like fire, police and water treatment facilities; and still others are built for remote outposts that otherwise lack access to electricity.”
Microgrids can take different forms, including for a single building or group of buildings. One question is who will manage a microgrid, as they can be a complex mix of generation, storage and end users. Another is how a microgrid is connected and interacts with the rest of the grid. Some microgrid operators may want to be completely separate from the “big” grid. But when a stand-alone microgrid has problems, customers may have no place to turn for help.
At a recent technical conference hosted by the Public Utilities Commission, stakeholders including Hawaiian Electric and the state Consumer Advocate discussed key issues to be resolved before interest in microgrids will increase here.
In addition to harmonizing microgrids with customer-energy-resource and grid-service programs, Hawaiian Electric believes customers not on a microgrid shouldn’t pay more so those on a microgrid benefit. For a microgrid connected to the larger grid, the company must be ready to supply power to customers when the microgrid is not operating. “Standing by” with power from generators has a real cost, as do substations and power lines to transmit power. These costs are paid by all customers, not just those on a microgrid. Thus, a key question is whether microgrids are used just in emergencies or whenever the microgrid operator chooses to.
Alaska, California, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Oklahoma and Texas have the most microgrids today. In California, the Blue Lake Rancheria microgrid is on a Native American reservation near the town of Blue Lake in Humboldt County. During recent wild-fire related power shutoffs, Blue Lake Rancheria had power due to its microgrid. The community opened its doors to others from Humboldt County who did not, including people whose health depended on reliable electricity.
Those who want to increase microgrids agree a clear legal framework is needed to define a microgrid, set rates and establish the rights and obligations of a microgrid operator with respect to customers and the utility grid operator. And that’s why you may be hearing the term microgrid a lot more as this framework evolves.
Peter Rosegg is a senior corporate relations specialist at Hawaiian Electric Company.
