The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has highlighted the need for U.S. Regional Transmission Operators and Independent System Operators (collectively referred to as ISOs) to update their policies to meet the increasing number of hybrid renewable energy and storage projects requiring interconnection to the nation’s electric grids.

Such hybrid and co-located ventures, mostly involving pairings of wind , solar, storage, or all three technologies, now account for more than ten percent of the U.S. capital pursuing interconnection with ISOs.

Hybrid technologies have the potential to add major benefits to the nation’s power grid, helping to provide more energy when consumers need it most, at a lower cost, while also improving the power system’s reliability.

Several regions have begun changing their business rules to take account of the hybrid and co-located resource capabilities. This phase needs to continue and extend best practices across the ISOs to allow sustainable, secure, and emission-free electricity to supply the grid with energy, power, and ancillary services.

“As energy technologies improve and partnerships emerge to increase the performance and flexibility of our country’s electric grid, we must update and refine outdated policies that are impeding the ability of those technologies to enter the market and lower costs for customers. Hybrid projects, which combine energy sources so that the total is greater than the some of its parts, represent the next major phase of energy development in the U.S., helping our country’s electric sector reach a cleaner, more affordable, and more reliable energy future.”

Adam Stern, AWEA research and analytics manager.