Think Microgrid Founding Member to Speak at US Congressional Briefing June 25

Patrick Lee, co-Founder and CEO – PXiSE Energy Solutions and a founding member of Think Microgrid

To be held by the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, the briefing also will feature Aram Zamgochian, director of strategic partnerships at ESS Tech, and Katie Jereza vice president of corporate affairs for the Electric Power Research Institute.

US Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) will provide Congressional remarks. Panetta has introduced a bill into the US House of Representatives that would create a 30% microgrid tax credit.

The tax credit would run through 2025 and then phase down each year to 10% by 2028 and sunset in 2029. It would apply microgrids with generating capacity ranging from 4 kW to 50 MW 

Christine Harbin, capitol hill program director for ICCF Group, will serve as panel moderator for Friday’s event.

Registration is free and open to the public. The briefing will take place at 10 am ET, Friday, June 25.

The discussion will focus on the details of an infrastructure package now being negotiated by the Biden administration and Congress, and the possibility of bipartisan consensus about microgrid infrastructure.

Polling by the Civil Society Institute and  Lake Research Partners have found strong support for microgrids among both Republicans and Democrats, once they understand the benefits of microgrids.

Democrats who were surveyed tended to see microgrids as a climate solution, as did women, younger voters and Hispanics. Republicans, older voters, and those with higher incomes favored messaging related to protecting electric supply against hacking or terrorism, according to the pollsters.

Think Microgrid was launched earlier this month by a coalition of leading microgrid companies to advocate for microgrids before regulators and policymakers in the US. The new group was launched at Microgrid 2021, a virtual conference that was hosted by Microgrid Knowledge and drew more than 4,000 participants. For more information about Think Microgrid and its members, see the organization’s website or contact Cameron Brooks, [email protected].