US. DOE releases draft roadmap to improve EV charger, solar and distributed energy resources interconnections

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) program has released a draft roadmap to improve processes for interconnecting clean energy resources to the distribution and sub-transmission grids.

The draft document provides stakeholders with 37 solutions organized around: increasing data access, transparency and security for interconnection; improving interconnection processes and timelines; promoting economic efficiency in interconnection; and maintaining a reliable, resilient and secure grid. The document complements the previously released Transmission Interconnection Roadmap, which identifies near- to long-term solutions for addressing challenges in transmission system interconnection.

Interconnection issues are a barrier to the deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs) that produce and supply electricity on a small scale, such as distributed solar photovoltaics (PV), wind, EV charging equipment and battery energy storage. As requests to interconnect DERs to the grid continue to rise, current processes can’t keep up, and the increasing queue times can delay the deployment of new resources and jeopardize governmental renewable energy goals.

“Connecting more distributed energy resources will improve grid reliability and lower energy costs in communities across America,” said Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “Solutions in this roadmap can help all states or regions—regardless of their current deployment levels—speed up interconnection and benefit from clean energy.”