Across the Northeast states have been advancing the electrical grid to handle the influx of dynamic and distributed supply from renewable energy sources and an increasingly dynamic load driven with the rise of electric vehicle charging, energy storage and heat pumps.

States have set aggressive goals to achieve net zero emissions and high levels of clean energy. Now, state regulators need to direct the utilities to upgrade the electric distribution networks to maximize the production of a safe, equitable, reliable, resilient, affordable and increasingly sustainable electric grid supply for the benefit of all. Several questions have risen to the top in the debate on the best way forward:

• Is there software technology that can reduce the capital outlay effectively?

• Does this software really help the Utilities or not?

• Who is best placed to test the deployment of these technologies, and who can vet the effectiveness, affordability and pragmatism of emerging utility proposals or vendor claims?

NECEC will convene leaders from the public and private sector on April 14 to examine the challenges and opportunities this system upgrade presents

NECEC will start with a Keynote from MassCEC sharing the output of recent workshops on best practice approaches to planning electric distribution network upgrades.