Non-Wires Alternatives

Project Symphony was an innovative pilot led by Western Power in Western Australia, designed to explore non-wires alternatives (NWAs) to traditional grid infrastructure. The pilot significantly advanced the understanding and application of technical requirements, customer engagement, value creation, and policy regulation needed to integrate customer-owned Distributed Energy Resources (DER)—such as rooftop solar, battery energy storage, and major appliances—into the energy system.

It addressed the challenges and opportunities of Western Australia’s rapid uptake of rooftop solar and other DER by ‘activating’ passive energy assets. Through the aggregation of customer-owned resources into a Virtual Power Plant, Symphony enabled customers to participate in new energy markets and provided services to help manage peaks and troughs of energy consumption on the system and network. Project Symphony demonstrated the economic and environmental benefits of DER participation, reducing the need for costly new transmission and distribution infrastructure while offering consumers new ways to engage with and benefit from the energy system.

The Project Symphony session will cover the insights gained from an innovative pilot by Western Power in Western Australia, which explored non-wires alternatives to traditional grid infrastructure.

This session will provide insights into the current regulatory landscape surrounding non-wires alternatives (NWAs), emphasizing the importance of innovative pricing and regulatory frameworks to facilitate the integration of distributed energy resources.

Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in adapting utility business models to enhance grid reliability and support decarbonization efforts.

This session will explore National Grid’s approach to integrating and implementing Non-Wires Alternatives (NWAs) within its operations. It will address the benefits, challenges, and strategies National Grid encounters as it transitions from traditional infrastructure to innovative, flexible solutions for energy distribution.

This session will explore how Southern California Edison (SCE) is leveraging Non-Wires Alternatives (NWAs) to enhance grid reliability, reduce costs, and integrate clean energy solutions. It will highlight key NWA projects, including lessons learned and their impact on shaping a more resilient, future-ready grid and discuss emerging technologies, regulatory challenges, and best practices for scaling NWAs to meet evolving energy demands.

Central Hudson utilizes Non-Pipeline Alternative (NPA) projects to convert natural gas using buildings to full electrification. The Company has a target of retiring 15 miles of leak-prone pipeline (LPP) per year. LPP replacement is costly, estimated to be $2.1 million per mile on average. In some instances, these projects provide opportunities where a whole home electrification conversion is less costly and provides an improved customer experience. In its Whole House Beneficial Electrification Program, Central Hudson replaces all gas using equipment with electric alternatives, covering make-ready and equipment costs at customers’ homes. Eligible measures include space and water heating equipment as well as cooking and clothes drying appliances. Central Hudson has successfully completed seven (7) NPA projects converting 13 residential homes from natural gas to electric end uses. The NYS DPS and other utilities have sought Central Hudson for their experiences in this approach.

This session will explore how Central Hudson's innovative approach to non-pipeline alternatives is helping to reduce infrastructure costs, improve customer satisfaction, and contribute to a cleaner energy future.

The Distribution Investment Deferral Framework was established with the goal of creating a process to identify opportunities for DERs to defer or avoid traditional distribution infrastructure projects. The framework attempted to integrate with the utility distribution planning process by adding a step at the end of the process, after traditional wires solutions had been identified, to check if the need could be met or deferred with DERs, and if so, find the projects best suited for DER deferral and solicit them for contract.

After six cycles of deferral identification and solicitation, it has been found that the framework is too rigid to be successful; the grid needs that the deferral contracts are specified for change as forecasts shift and customers request or withdraw projects, making the planned deferral inadequate or unnecessary.

This experience has highlighted that DERs must be considered earlier in the distribution planning process and that nimble solutions such as load flexibility show promise for distribution deferral in the future.

New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) recently energized its first Non-Wires Alternatives (NWA) project in New York. Owned and operated by a third-party developer, the 1 MW battery energy storage system will provide increased energy reliability to customers in Stillwater, New York. The project was selected as a cost-effective alternative to the traditional solution following a competitive solicitation issued in 2017, which resulted in more than 13 proposals being received. NWA projects support New York State’s energy and climate goals established by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

This session will cover the implementation process, with insights into challenges and lessons learned, showcasing the adaptability and forward-thinking nature of NYSEG and Avangrid in delivering optimal solutions for the benefit of Avangrid and its customers.

Con Edison can present the Brooklyn-Queens Demand Management (BQDM) Program as a case study at the Non-Wires Alternatives Conference. This initiative aimed to reduce peak electricity demand in Brooklyn and Queens by implementing energy efficiency measures, demand response strategies, and distributed energy resources, thereby deferring the need for costly infrastructure upgrades. The program successfully reduced peak demand by over 100 megawatts, enhancing grid reliability while engaging customers in energy-saving initiatives. Key lessons learned include the importance of stakeholder collaboration and flexible program design to adapt to evolving energy needs.