Public Utilities Commission of Ohio establishes PowerForward Collaborative to examine future of electric grid

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) issued an order Wednesday to establish the PowerForward Collaborative, which will observe marketplace development and study technologies that may be useful to deploy on the grid.

PowerForward is an initiative of PUCO that aims to review technological and regulatory innovation and define a path forward for future grid modernization projects, regulations and policies. PUCO released its PowerForward report, a roadmap for the modernization of Ohio’s power grid, in August.

The PowerForward Roadmap recommended creating the PowerForward Collaborative. Specifically, the PowerForward Collaborative will explore issues related to electric vehicle infrastructure, as well as a process for the deployment of non-wires alternatives. The workgroup consists of utility stakeholders and is led by the PUCO staff.

PUCO also established on Wednesday subgroups of the PowerForward Collaborative: the Data and Modern Grid Workgroup (DWG) and the Distribution System Planning Working Group (PWG).

The DWG and PWG will discuss issues surrounding data access and data privacy and the integration of distributed resources and non-wires alternatives into the system.

“Today’s PowerForward Commission action is the next step in building our state’s electricity future,” PUCO Chairman Asim Z. Haque said. “The PowerForward Collaborative is an opportunity for stakeholders to be directly involved in helping create Ohio’s grid modernization policies for the future.”

PUCO ordered that the first meeting of the PowerForward Collaborative will be held on Dec. 6 at the PUCO offices in Columbus.