Another day, another panel at DTECH 2026- this time exploring what it will take to turn DER flexibility into an affordable and reliable way for utilities to meet grid needs.
The discussion, hosted by Electron, reflected how quickly the context is changing. Accelerating electrification and large, time-sensitive load growth means traditional grid build timelines are under pressure.Â
In that environment, DER flexibility is increasingly seen as one of the few tools that can respond at pace, offering capacity and flexibility that already exists on the system.Â
Bearing that in mind, I’ve picked out 5 more points that the panel talked around:
1. Confidence is the real constraint
If DERs are going to be treated like grid assets, utilities need to trust them in the same way they trust infrastructure that they own.
That means confidence that DERs will respond when called, perform consistently across events, and deliver value at the right location on the grid. Until operators and planners feel comfortable making decisions based on them, DERs will stay far out at the grid edge.
2. Visibility is where confidence starts
Several speakers came back to visibility i.e before optimisation or market design, utilities need a clear view of what is on their system today: where DERs are located, what capabilities they have, how they have performed over time in real conditions, etc.
Without that foundation, DERs struggle to show up in planning and operational conversations.
3. DERs need to be evaluated alongside wires
Sometimes wires are the right answer and sometimes a portfolio of DERs can defer or reduce investment, but the key point is the fact of making the comparison. When DERs are assessed alongside wires, their value becomes clearer and easier to defend.
4. Proof over time builds momentum
Trust in DERs grows through testing their performance over time in operationally meaningful situations and using those results to reduce uncertainty. That evidence base makes it easier to scale DER use in a more considered and proof led way.
5. Internal alignment is often underestimated
Even with good data, DERs will struggle to take off if teams inside a utility are not aligned. Planning, operations, and DER or customer program teams often work with different assumptions and priorities, so shared visibility and shared language matter.
When those teams look at the same information and talk about DERs in the same way, distributed assets can start to influence grid decisions in the most logical/ helpful way.
With Obadiah Bartholomy from energy utility SMUD; McGee Young from clean energy platform WattCarbon; and Benjamin Lee from energy consultancy Electric Power Engineers as speakers - and the session moderated by Electron’s SVP North America, Mark Rawson - the talk had an interesting range of perspectives so thanks to everyone for their insights!
Electron will be at booth #UL811 at DTECH until tomorrow (5 Feb) for anyone that wants to continue this conversation đź‘‹