by Timothy McQuiston VBM If a tree falls in the woods, will it knock out the power to my home or business that's a hundred miles away? Green Mountain Power, based in Colchester, is working with a major national energy company to reduce such power outages and enhance redundancy, while bringing new energy products to the Vermont marketplace through the use of localized technology and generation, "microgrids," analytics and data.
Demonstrating Vermont's national importance as a model for our energy future, GMP and NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) today announced a partnership to deploy a series of new products and services for Vermont businesses and residents. The partnership, which ultimately will expand throughout Vermont, is part of an effort to establish Rutland as the Energy City of the Future, and positions the state as a leader in the movement toward cost-effective sustainable energy solutions.
Beginning in early 2015, the partnership plans to bring innovative clean energy products and services to Vermont, helping customers manage energy use and save money. Central to the effort will be the development of an advanced distribution grid in Rutland. Leveraging NRG's microgrid capabilities, the two companies expect to transform the distribution grid from a 100-year-old electric delivery model to a market-based platform designed to create efficiencies and distributed energy solutions through renewable technologies and energy storage.
"This partnership is a really big deal for our customers and for Vermont," said GMP President and CEO, Mary Powell. "Our partner NRG Energy is a cutting edge leader in green energy solutions, and they see in Vermont the same potential that we at GMP have recognized for years. Our customers consistently tell us they want tools to save money and move to renewable energy sources, and we can show the rest of the country how to get there. This is what our energy future looks like."
Powell said the microgrid is not a new grid replacing what she called the twig and twine of what Thomas Edison came up with, but making it much, much more reliable and efficient.
"This is really a big deal for Vermont," she said.
"Through this partnership, we hope to demonstrate that investing in a 21st century energy eco-system that is more sustainable, resilient, affordable and individually empowering for the people of Vermont is more sensible than pouring more investment into the creaky old grid infrastructure from the 20th century," said David Crane, President and CEO of NRG. "In the course of so doing, we will also prove that the concepts of 'electric utility', 'renewables' and 'personal choice' are not mutually exclusive."
Crane said there are 130 million wooden telephone poles in the country, with weather events driven by climate change an increasing problem in maintaining that infrastructure. Power pointed out that in 1997, the US spent $4.7 billion to maintain the transmission system, by 2012 it had increased to $14.7 billion, and in 2024 it is estimated that it will cost $60+ billion to maintain at current projections.
"Rutland will be ground zero for this," Crane said. Powell noted that GMP has just broken ground for a new solar collection site in Rutland that will have many of the elements for this: local energy production, battery backup, grid integration, data analysis for energy production, consumption and regulation. This same principals could be applied at the homeowner level.
The press event was held at the The Essex (The Essex, Vermont's Culinary Resort and Spa), which hosts the prototype for a local generation unit. The natural gas unit, installed last winter, which looks like a home furnace, only three times or so the size, can generate 10 kilowatts of electricity; it can also heat domestic hot water; it can also heat guest rooms. While this test unit is not large enough to provide all the resort's needs, it will provide a test case on how such small-scale generation can be added to the mix of modern energy solutions, according to Wayne Morrison of NRG.
Products and service offerings from the new project include:
Personal Energy Management: Beginning in 2015, GMP will offer Vermont customers a comprehensive personal energy management solution -- a multilevel home control and convenience offering. Subscribing customers may be able to remotely manage energy consumption in their homes to increase comfort and save money. GMP may also offer NRG's web-based customer technology to provide Vermonters clear insight into electricity use, allowing them to make smarter choices. Customers may also be able to participate in demand response, in which they voluntarily reduce their use of electricity for specific periods in return for payments or credits on their bill.
NRG Portable Power: GMP will offer NRG's Portable Power solution allowing customers to break free from the outlet and charge their smartphones with an NRG Power Pack.
Electric Vehicle Infrastructure: GMP will work with NRG's eVgo division to develop and roll out an expanded, interconnected network of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state, including several charging package options. Both "Level 2" and DC Fast Chargers will be installed in commercial and workplace locations.
Community Solar: In 2013, NRG Home Solar (formerly Residential Solar Solutions) built one of the first third party financed community solar arrays in the country. This array, in Rutland, VT, provides 50 residents and businesses a credit on their GMP bill for their portion of the solar energy produced by the array. Customers pay a small monthly fee and are covered by a power production guarantee. NRG is currently working on additional projects in Vermont as part of the partnership with GMP.
Micro-power: GMP is working with NRG to offer micro generation solutions to Vermonters, including NRG's Beacon 10. These units generate up to 10 kilowatts of electricity, provide heat for water and space heating, and offer battery storage and solar integration capability with onsite solar systems.
Microgrid: GMP has an ambitious vision for an energy future that takes Rutland and ultimately Vermont beyond the legacy grid system, supported by solar energy and new technology systems that ensure reliable power. Leveraging NRG's microgrid capabilities, the two companies intend to transform the distribution grid system to a market-based platform designed to create efficiencies and distributed energy solutions.
"I'm proud to stand with GMP and NRG today to announce a partnership that will help Vermont transform our energy future," said Governor Peter Shumlin. "We know the threat that climate change presents our economy and our way of life, but with this challenge comes opportunity. This partnership is exactly the type of leadership we need to seize that opportunity and create a model for the rest of the nation."
"This partnership will bolster Rutland's growth by reducing residents' costs and building on our clean-energy reputation," Rutland Mayor Chris Louras said. 
"Rutland has quickly become known as a hotbed for renewable energy, and the aggressive introduction of NRG's and GMP's innovative products and services will solidify Rutland's role as a national energy leader."
About Green Mountain Power
Green Mountain Power (GMP) serves approximately 265,000 residential and business customers in Vermont and has a vision to be the best small company in America by empowering customers to save money and move to clean energy sources. GMP recognizes the role of electric utilities is changing and is focused on a new way of doing business to meet the needs of customers with integrated services, while continuing to generate clean, cost-effective and reliable power in Vermont. In 2014, Vote Solar named GMP a Solar Champion. More information at: www.greenmountainpower.com.
About NRG
NRG is leading customer-driven change in the U.S. energy industry by delivering cleaner and smarter energy choices, while building on the strength of the nation's largest and most diverse competitive power portfolio. A Fortune 250 company, we create value through reliable and efficient conventional generation while driving innovation in solar and renewable power, electric vehicle ecosystems, carbon capture technology and customer-centric energy solutions. Our retail electricity providers serve almost 3 million residential and commercial customers throughout the country. More information is available at www.nrg.com. For more information about this initiative and the products and services offered, visit http://bit.ly/GMP-NRG.
COLCHESTER, VT--(Marketwired - September 02, 2014) - GMP. PHOTOS, from top: David Crane and Mary Powell. Governor Shumlin. Rutland Mayor Chris Louras.