“It takes time and it’s a lot of work to change this industry,” reckons Robert Sherick, who manages product strategy at GridUnity.
Transmission owners and operators laser-focused on safety and reliability tend to tread lightly. That often means moving slowly, but it’s imperative to interconnect clean generation much faster than the current status quo to achieve our climate goals.
“Interconnection is really where the bottleneck is,” notices GridUnity head of sales Ashley Kelly. “Our software platform streamlines that process.”
“We’ve got a purpose-built solution focused on load and generation interconnection on both the transmission and distribution side,” expounds Sherick.
GridUnity’s Digital Integration for Grid Interconnection Tools, Analysis, and Logic (DIGITAL) project allows visibility of the full end-to-end process from pre-application to permission to operate. The company’s interconnection solution is among 38 projects chosen to receive funding through the Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovations Partnerships (GRIP) program. Nearly $2 billion in new awards spanning initiatives in 42 states and Washington, D.C. were announced today. The funding will go toward protecting the grid against growing threats of extreme weather, lowering electricity costs for communities, and increasing capacity to meet load growth stemming from the recent rise of manufacturing, data centers, and electrification.
DOE received applications requesting more than seven times the funding available in this round, even after doling out $3.5B for 58 projects last October and $2.2B more in August of this year.
“We kind of appreciate the fact that it was highly competitive and that lots of folks are looking for federal funding,” Sherick offers.
GridUnity’s interconnection solution
GridUnity was selected to receive $49.5 million in federal funding with an equal recipient cost share commitment for a total project investment of $99 million. The company will use the money to build out its platform supplying generation developers with data required to interconnect as quickly, efficiently, and inexpensively as possible. The complex interconnection process relies heavily on regional transmission organizations and independent system operators communicating closely with transmission owners.
“We’ve created a software platform to make sure that those two entities are able to communicate,” Sherick explains. “To be able to pass data and documents across the platform and make sure that they’re on the same page as they go through the study and analysis that’s required to allow these generators to get interconnected safely, reliably, securely in a timely fashion.”
“Yes, this is something that we can do,” he asserts. “It is possible with the technology capabilities that we have today.”
By leveraging cloud-based technologies and innovative communication and process improvements, GridUnity aims to increase transparency and efficiency for all stakeholders involved in the interconnection process, simplifying and speeding up what is typically a complex affair that can drag on for 30 months or more. Sherick and Kelly believe that the process can “absolutely” be reduced to 18 months, and eventually be whittled down to a year via their software.
GridUnity is well positioned to do that, as three of the six FERC jurisdictional transmission operators already use its software: MISO, SPP, and CAISO. Sherick believes nationwide deployment is possible. By the fifth year, DIGITAL is expected to directly affect 70% of the U.S. population (around 210 million people) by optimizing transmission grid efficiency, enhancing energy reliability, and reducing consumer energy costs.
“It is really important for us to get this validation from the Department of Energy on this being a solid concept and something that the industry needs,” Sherick added. “We feel like this is a great opportunity for us and a great opportunity for the industry.”
Key features of GridUnity’s DIGITAL project include:
- Cloud-based centralized software: DIGITAL will replace fragmented communication and outdated technologies used by regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and transmission owners with a centralized platform, improving communication, collaboration, and adaptability.
- DIGITAL Grid Analytics Learning Engine (GALE): The project introduces GALE, an AI-powered tool that enhances cost estimation accuracy, providing transparent and timely analyses to support faster project approvals.
- Job creation and inclusive development: Over the five-year term, DIGITAL will create 62 high-tech jobs and 6-8 community engagement roles, while expediting the creation of over 51,000 skilled worker positions in the clean energy sector while emphasizing community engagement and ensuring that the benefits of clean energy are accessible and equitable for all.