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January 11, 2020 Sustain Iowa County & Citizens' Climate Lobby Meeting 11AM

Come join us on Saturday, Jan. 11, 11:00am - Sustain Iowa County & Citizens' Climate Lobby Meeting - Dodgeville's Cafe by Country Kitchen
SOME HIGHLIGHTS;
Cardinal-Hickory Creek update - Court Appearance - State Court Appeal For CHC On Jan. 21 at 10:00 am in the court of Judge Richard Niess On the 5th Floor, Courtroom 5D - Branch 9, 215 S Hamilton Street, Madison
Take a look at the RMI summation below of one of the Rocky Mt. Institute's initiatives. We're in good company in advocating for better alternatives to CHC.
Energy District update
Forever Earthbound faith community book distribution update
CCL Guest Speaker - John Wood Jr. at Better Angels, a national citizens’ movement "to reduce political polarization in the United States by bringing liberals and conservatives together to understand each other beyond stereotypes."
And all that you bring to the conversation!
Looking forward to seeing you! If you have questions contact:
Chuck Tennessen at [email protected] or (608) 987-3835 or www.foreverearthbound.net

RMI Summary:
Rocky Mt. Institute – Non-Wire Solutions

Utility investment in distribution infrastructure is big business
Since 2006, regulated utilities across the US have invested $55 billion each year, on average, in
distribution, transmission, and generation infrastructure. Historically, distribution infrastructure has
represented the greatest share of utilities ’expenditures as utilities seek to maintain and modernize
extensive last-mile networks to serve hundreds of millions of electricity end-users. Utilities have an
incentive to make these investments because they are entitled to earn a regulator approved rate of
return on the capital expenditures that are included in their rate base (e.g., power plants, distribution
lines, transformers). Even as electricity sales and peak demand have stayed flat in recent years,
utility investments added to the rate base have increased. The rising ratio of utility distribution assets
per customer raises concerns that rates may increase as the cost of distribution investments are
passed through to customers for years to come. To mitigate this risk, it is critical that grid investment
decisions are prudent and result in the most cost-effective solutions.
Distributed energy resources can be used as non-wires solutions to save ratepayers money
Utilities and regulators can adapt existing planning processes in order to consider all possible
solutions when making investments to address grid needs. Specifically, by taking advantage of the
proliferation of distributed energy resources (DERs) and energy management software solutions,
planning processes can ensure grid services are provided by the most cost-effective options, and
provide safe, reliable electric service for customers. In The Non-Wires Solutions Implementation
Playbook, we define DERs to include distributed generation (e.g., rooftop or community-scale solar
PV), energy storage (e.g., batteries), and both software and hardware approaches to energy
efficiency and demand response—technologies that generate electricity or control loads and are
directly interconnected to low voltage electric distribution systems. When DERs are used to solve
grid needs that would have otherwise required traditional utility infrastructure, they can be considered
non-wires solutions (NWS). NWS are applications of DERs in specific locations that defer or eliminate
an investment in traditional and costlier “wires-and poles” infrastructure. NWS have also been called
non-wires alternatives (NWA), which implies that they will be evaluated as alternatives to wires-and-
poles infrastructure. In contrast, the terminology of “non-wires solutions” institutionalizes NWS as part
of the utility’s standard solution toolkit, implying that they should be considered as part of a basic set
of options.
Non-wires solutions provide a host of benefits and should be a key component of innovative
distribution planning processes
States and utilities can incorporate NWS into distribution-level grid modernization and integrated
planning efforts that are increasingly taking place across the nation. In addition to cost savings, the
effective integration of NWS into planning processes can help capture the range of benefits that
DERs and NWS provide, including:
• Ratepayer cost savings: Since NWS are typically pursued only if they are determined to be more
cost-effective than alternative infrastructure options, they should lead to lower costs for ratepayers.
• Flexibility for planning processes: Instead of investing in new infrastructure projects based on
long-term, uncertain forecasts, planners can deploy modular, flexible NWS portfolios when and where
they are needed. This mitigates the risk that large investments will become stranded if load growth
doesn’t materialize as forecasted and provides a time value-of-money benefit because more
significant expenditures can be delayed until needs are realized.

• Progress toward clean energy goals: NWS projects deliver value by deferring or eliminating the
need for traditional infrastructure. By stimulating demand and increasing the adoption of low-carbon
resources like energy efficiency and demand response, NWS reduce the need for marginal, more
carbon-intensive generation.
• Opportunities to test new utility business models: Utilities can use NWS to experiment with
new ways of engaging with their customers as well as innovative technology companies. As utilities
adapt to a changing set of consumer preferences, NWS can provide an opening to partner with
customers and create DER programs that improve customer satisfaction and reduce the probability of
ratepayer defection.
• Local economic development: Rather than deploying traditional utility-owned infrastructure,
NWS can provide opportunities for local investment in communities where customer-sited solutions
can address grid needs.
• Job creation: Whereas traditional infrastructure equipment markets are mature, NWS projects
support the animation of DER markets where rapid innovation is unlocking significant potential for
new job growth.


Archive:

April 7, 2020 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary
March 25, 2020 Informed Lafayette Action Monthly Meeting
March 21, 2020 12th Annual Wisconsin Grassroots Festival
March 8, 2020 Build Unity Tour
March 7, 2020 Wisconsin Farmers Union Iowa-Grant Spring Meeting
February 22, 2020 Soil Health & Diversity: Keeping Farms Economically and Ecologically Sustainable
February 19, 2020 Driftless Area Drinking Liberally Chapter Meeting
February 18, 2020 Spring Primary 7AM-8PM
February 6, 2020 A Nonpartisan Case for Electoral Innovation 6:30PM
February 4, 2020 Proposed New Library Meeting with the Architects 6-8PM


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