Author: Marc Laitin, Head of North American Markets at Electron
It has been a whirlwind few weeks since I joined Electron. As I’m going to be hosting plenty of conversations around what Electron is in the US, I thought it would be useful to articulate a few of the reasons I felt this opportunity was the right one for me – and why I see energy flexibility at scale as a key ingredient in achieving a carbon-neutral grid.
The “yes, ands…” of the energy transition
At a macro level, I have been looking for ways to re-join the effort to accelerate our transition to a Net Zero future. This is a massively complicated problem with no single solution.
Yes, we need more renewable energy. Yes, we need more grid connected batteries. Yes, we need to transition from gas-powered generation and devices. These “yes, ands…” – and many more – make it abundantly clear that we’re in an industry filled with challenges to address and opportunities to pursue.
Dynamic distributed flexibility markets
With all of those opportunities in mind, Electron attracted me in part because of how it catalyzes scale for distributed flexible energy and its impact on accelerating solutions within the broader ecosystem.
Dynamic distributed energy flexibility markets make renewable energy projects more profitable and make gas peaker plants less profitable. They increase the value of batteries, EV charging infrastructure, smart thermostats, and a range of customer (residential as well as commercial and industrial) resources.
They reduce the need for some expensive grid investments while helping strengthen grid resilience and reliability. The list goes on, pointing back to those solutions that the industry knows that it needs at scale to reach Net Zero.
Bringing UK learnings to the US
Electron is more than an idea on a napkin or a fancy PowerPoint with Silicon Valley investment in the bank. It’s already delivering on its vision today. Electron’s neutral market platform is an in-market, working product, delivering value and scaling the volume of distributed flexible energy resources in the UK.
The UK is leading the way, with a favorable regulatory framework and market design for distributed flexible energy markets. Electron’s CEO Jo-Jo Hubbard and the team have now charged me to bring the Electron platform to North America.
Our voracious (and growing) appetite for electricity, evolving regulatory conditions – that cross state, regional, and federal boundaries – and market forces make the US fertile ground for Electron’s next generation platform.
Scaling distributed energy flexibility in the US
In the US, distributed flexibility is mostly powered by individual point solutions. Electron’s platform can make managing those programs easier, with a single interface and set of open APIs.
More powerfully, it can help radically scale distributed flexibility, making it far easier for utilities to:
- Manage multiple flexibility providers
- Deliver clear price signals to existing and potential providers
- Respond more dynamically to evolving market conditions
The US needs – and is ready for – a new, scalable way to manage distributed energy flexibility programs, and we are here to help. There’s a lot of value currently trapped in friction-filled, one-to-one programs. A neutral market platform can be the key to unlocking it.
That means more cost savings long term and a faster way to hit Net Zero targets. I can’t wait to introduce the industry to Electron and its neutral market solution.
