A new coalition of technology and energy companies formed Utilize to advocate for changes in how the electrical grid is built and used.
The group argues that the current grid is designed for brief bursts of high demand, leaving most of its capacity underutilized. Utilize plans to advocate for policies that encourage the widespread adoption of existing technologies like battery storage, demand response, and virtual power plants. The coalition includes sell-side companies such as Tesla, Span, Carrier, Sparkfund, and Renew Home, and buy-side companies including Google and Verrus.
Utilize launched on a Tuesday with the goal of changing grid management practices. The group points to Texas’ grid, which has fared better during recent cold snaps due to an increase in battery storage, as a successful example. The organization calls itself a “coalition” and has already backed a bill in Virginia that requires utilities to quantify and disclose how the grid is being used.
Tesla sells batteries and solar panels, Span sells an electrical panel that can react to changing loads, and Carrier makes heat pumps. Sparkfund and Renew Home build and aggregate distributed energy resources, while Google and Verrus have enormous power needs to keep their servers humming.
TechCrunch reported that it did not receive a reply to inquiries sent to Utilize and the Commonwealth of Virginia regarding the organization’s status as a lobbyist. Advocacy organizations are no stranger to the utility industry, but the combination of new technology paired with buy- and sell-side companies makes Utilize something different. Changing the way the grid is regulated is a long game, but the group states that if they do not start now, it will be too late.
