California gives sparse funding to set blueprint for smart microgrids

The quest to solve California’s wildfire problem and resultant blackouts has been boosted with a $200 million strategy from The California Public Utilities Commissions (CPUC). The regulator has now approved a plan for utilities to deploy microgrids which will protect consumers from disruption during fire-prevention blackouts, although funding may not stretch far enough for the required supplementary infrastructure. In the deal signed last Thursday, rates, tariffs and rules have been drawn out for utilities Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E); Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E). While nothing should have stopped these from deploying microgrids in the past, a new range of standards and protocols should reduce barriers to statewide deployment. The term microgrid usually…