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Podcast: What Microgrids Need From Policymakers Now

May 19, 2014

What do microgrid developers need from policymakers now? Rob Thornton, president and CEO of IDEA, explains in this podcast how Hurricane Sandy made microgrids “cool.” But regulations and policy still stand in the way of realizing the many benefits of microgrids, he says

Lisa Cohn

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Rob Thornton – IDEA

storms like Sandy. Mayors, CEOs, schools and universities are beginning to see the advantages of microgrids, he says. Developers should be properly compensated for the important services they provide. And regulators need to understand that microgrids don’t pull loads off the grid; they work in conjunction with the grid.

IDEA — the International District Energy Association — is now in its 105th year.

For more information on microgrids check out our article series: Think Microgrid: A Discussion Guide for Policymakers, Regulators and End Users. Or, you can download the full report, free of charge courtesy of the report’s underwriters: the International District Energy Association and Schneider Electric.

About the Author

Lisa Cohn | Contributing Editor

I focus on the West Coast and Midwest. Email me at [email protected]

I’ve been writing about energy for more than 20 years, and my stories have appeared in EnergyBiz, SNL Financial, Mother Earth News, Natural Home Magazine, Horizon Air Magazine, Oregon Business, Open Spaces, the Portland Tribune, The Oregonian, Renewable Energy World, Windpower Monthly and other publications. I’m also a former stringer for the Platts/McGraw-Hill energy publications. I began my career covering energy and environment for The Cape Cod Times, where Elisa Wood also was a reporter. I’ve received numerous writing awards from national, regional and local organizations, including Pacific Northwest Writers Association, Willamette Writers, Associated Oregon Industries, and the Voice of Youth Advocates. I first became interested in energy as a student at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, where I helped design and build a solar house.

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