The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and other industry experts have developed a free online toolkit that provides regulators and utilities with actionable recommendations to support the process of connecting energy storage systems and the distribution grid.

The “Toolkit and Guidance for the Interconnection of Energy Storage and Solar-Plus-Storage” is the culmination of over a year of research and analysis by experts to develop vetted, consensus-based solutions to eight regulatory and technical barriers faced in energy storage interconnection. Stakeholders can also access model language to update state interconnection rules. Guidance offered in the toolkit can be applied nationally in diverse states and markets.

“By modernizing the rules that govern the interconnection of energy storage systems, regulators and utilities can enable significantly more renewable energy on the distribution grid—in some cases as much as double the capacity,” said Larry Sherwood, IREC president and CEO. “They can also make the interconnection process faster, predictable, and less costly for applicants. These changes are urgently needed as more and more states target bold climate and clean energy goals; fortunately, the Toolkit provides regulators with actionable and ready-to-implement guidance.”