Overview
The Transactive Neighborhood Renewable Microgrid Pilot Project aims to create an innovative, multi-customer microgrid demonstration project within the District of Columbia. This pilot project, created by the
PowerPath DC Pilot Projects Governance Board, seeks to modernize the District's energy distribution system by implementing a neighborhood-scale microgrid that serves approximately 50-200 residences and buildings. A microgrid is a collection of interconnected loads, generation assets, and advanced control equipment installed across a limited geographic area and within a defined electrical boundary that is capable of disconnecting from the larger electric distribution system.
Supporting the city's commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2045, the project will demonstrate how community-based renewable energy systems can provide essential grid services while delivering tangible benefits to participants and the broader community. Benefits include enhanced energy reliability through local generation and storage, sustainable cost savings for residents, and improved environmental conditions.
Future microgrid participants can expect their total electric power rates to remain no higher than comparable
Pepco Standard Offer Service rates, while potentially gaining additional advantages through the electrification of gas appliances. The project also emphasizes equity and environmental justice, ensuring positive impacts on both the local economy and community well-being.
Project Status
The DCPSC issued a
Request for Proposals with $10 million in available funding, with proposals due by
April 17, 2025. The Commission seeks an expert in microgrid development to design and implement this demonstration project over a period of up to five years, including at least two years of operational demonstration. The selected project will integrate solar power, energy storage, microgrid controls, and a transactive energy platform that enables peer-to-peer energy trading within the microgrid community.
Background
This pilot is part of a broader effort under the
Pepco Holdings, Inc.-Exelon merger agreement, which established a $21.55 million Pilot Project Fund Subaccount to support energy modernization projects in the District. The project builds upon the Commission's investigation into Modernizing the Energy Delivery System for Increased Sustainability (MEDSIS) and aims to provide insights for identifying technologies and policies that can advance the District's energy modernization goals.