What New York Did Last Week to Spur More 'Non-Wires Alternatives'

Not so long ago, mentioning the term non-wires alternatives evoked a “Huh?”

But now in New York, non-wires alternatives are becoming standard electric utility business practice, as evidenced Thursday by an important state Public Service Commission vote. The commission approved an indefinite extension of Consolidated Edison’s Brooklyn-Queens Demand Management Program, one of the most closely watched non-wires alternative tests in the U.S. (CASE 14-E-0302).

“What was new has become normal,” said John Rhodes, commission chair, at the meeting.

Non-wires alternatives are microgrids, solar, energy storage, energy efficiency, demand response, and other local energy used instead of more costly centralized transmission, distribution and power plants. They come into play when utilities need new resources. Regulators may require that utilities compare the cost of conventional approaches against non-wires alternatives and choose the least expensive.

As a result, these programs open up new opportunities for distributed energy resources.

New York was not the first state to pursue non-wires alternatives — Maine was an early leader. But Con Edison’s Brooklyn-Queens program was one of the most striking. Proposed in 2014, it promised to delay the need for a $1 billion substation and related infrastructure with $200 million in non-wires alternatives.

The program had been set to expire next summer.

“Continuing this will allow...Continue reading on Microgrid Knowledge.