Slide 1: MA Electric Sector Modernization Plan 2025-2050
MA Electric Sector Modernization Plan 2025-2050 October 2023
Slide 2: Safety Minute
Safety Minute Safety is important to Unitil. We appreciate your time and want you to return home safe. Avoiding Slips, Trips and Falls • Be present where your feet are • Watch out for obstructions and poorly lit areas • Avoid or use caution on wet, slippery or uneven surfaces • Wear appropriate foot
Slide 3: Agenda
Agenda What will we talk about today? What is an Electric System Modernization Plan (ESMP)? • What goes into system planning today, and what do we look at to plan for the future? – What does Unitil see as the building blocks needed to modernize the grid? Project Proposals • What future projects do w
Slide 4: Who is Unitil
Who is Unitil Local electric and gas company working to make our community better Unitil Corporation is a public utility holding company with operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts Together, Unitil’s operating utilities serve approximately 108,100 electric customers Providing electric
Slide 5: What is an Electric Sector Modernization Plan?
What is an Electric Sector Modernization Plan? November 6, 2023
Slide 6: What is an Electric Sector Modernization Plan?
What is an Electric Sector Modernization Plan? Why is an ESMP important to the company, customers and the Commonwealth? What is an Electric Sector Modernization Plan (ESMP)? • An ESMP is a comprehensive plan designed to ensure the electric Transition to a Cleaner Energy Future system is capable of s
Slide 7: Grid Modernization Advisory Council
Grid Modernization Advisory Council? Who is the Grid Modernization Advisory Council? Grid Modernization Advisory Council (GMAC) GMAC members include representatives from a wide array of organizations and interests • The GMAC is charged with reviewing and providing recommendations to the state’s inve
Slide 8: Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder Engagement A transparent and open process that is easy to follow, understand and easy to provide comment and consideration to future plans. Stakeholder Engagement An effective stakeholder engagement process ensures that customers, municipalities, and other stakeholders understand the ESM
Slide 9: Electric System Planning
Electric System Planning 101 October 2023
Slide 10: Traditional Electric System
Traditional Electric System One-way power flow from large generators to the customers. Traditional Electric System In the traditional electric system, power is generated remote from customer. Power is delivered across transmission lines running through rights-of-way at high voltages. Bulk receiving
Slide 11: Tomorrow's Electric System
Tomorrow's Electric System Two-way power flow and distributed energy resources. Tomorrow’s Electric System Tomorrow’s electric system promotes two-way power flow. Distributed energy resources such as large scale solar, residential solar, wind, battery storage systems, have reduce the reliance on the
Slide 12: Plan Objectives
Plan Objectives What are the building blocks of a modern electric system? Flexibility Safety, Reliability and Resiliency Customer Service We must ensure the grid remains flexible We must continuously improve safety, We must improve customer empowerment, enough to accommodate and integrate all reliab
Slide 13: Load Forecast Assumptions
Load Forecast Assumptions What assumptions make up the load forecast? Load Adders Large Spot Loads Electric Vehicles Electrification (Source: Autodesk) Base Load Forecast Load Reducer Energy Efficiency Distributed Energy Resources Volt-Var Optimization (Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
Slide 14: Load Forecast Assumptions
Load Forecast Assumptions 12.5% forecasted load increase over 10 years? PAGE 14
Slide 15: Integrated Gas-Electric Planning
Integrated Gas-Electric Planning Identifying opportunities between gas and electric system planning Integrated Energy Planning (IEP) Integrated Planning • Prudently build out the electric system in the right locations Gas and Electric utilities generally plan and operate their at the right time to p
Slide 16: Proposed ESMP Projects
Proposed ESMP Projects October 2023
Slide 17: Technology
Technology What technology does the company currently have in place or in development designed to benefit customers? Automated Metering Infrastructure Volt-Var Optimization Metering infrastructure and communications Automatically optimize voltage to reduce peak network to facilitate the collection a
Slide 18: ESMP Proposed Projects
ESMP Proposed Projects What are the proposed projects and how will they benefit our customers? Customer-Facing Projects Grid-Facing Projects • Enable Grid Services • Advanced Distribution Management • FERC Order 2222 Implementation System / Distributed Energy Resource Management System • EV Charging
Slide 19: Enable DER as a Grid Service
Enable DER as a Grid Service DERs can provide benefits to the electric system if managed and controlled properly. Enable DER Grid Services • Study the value of DER and load flexibility as a grid service. • Compensation fund for dispatchable DERs • Equitable Transactional Energy Study taking into con
Slide 20: FERC Order 2222
FERC Order 2222 Allowing all customers to participate in the wholesale energy market. FERC Order 2222 Implementation • Remove barriers for DERs to connect • Allows DERs to participate in wholesale markets – same as large facilities • Opens up wholesale market to new sources of energy • Lowers wholes
Slide 21: EV Charging and Make Ready
EV Charging and Make Ready The Company’s EV program is designed to alleviate barriers to EV adoption. EV Charging and Make Ready • DPU approved program for 2023-2027 • Proposed to double the program spending for 2028 and 2029 • Public charging make ready incentives • Residential charging incentives
Slide 22: ADMS and DERMS
ADMS and DERMS Providing advanced monitoring and control to optimize the electric system. Advanced Distribution Management System / Distributed Energy Resource Management • Computer system and communications to monitoring and control of electric system • Platform for other functionality such as volt
Slide 23: Volt-Var Optimization (VVO)
Volt-Var Optimization (VVO) Saving customers money without them even knowing it. Volt-Var Optimization • Field equipment and communication system designed to optimize system voltage and power factor • Entire system will have VVO installed so all customers will achieve the benefits Customer Benefits
Slide 24: Automation
Automation Saving customers money without them even knowing it. Automation • Automated switching and restoration schemes • Increased monitoring and control further out on electric system • Volt-Var Optimization Customer Benefits • Improved outage awareness (Source: T&D World) • Reduced outage respon
Slide 25: Cyber Security
Cyber Security Ensuring the integrity of the electric system as well as customer data. Cyber Security • Improved cyber security monitoring of operational and corporate networks • Sectionalize and secure networks • Identify and mitigate risks • Critical to the safety and reliability of the electric s
Slide 26: Lunenburg and South Lunenburg Substations
Lunenburg and South Lunenburg Substations Adding substation capacity to address the increasing load needs of the system. Lunenburg Substation Expansion 2026 Lunenburg and South Addition of substation equipment at the existing Lunenburg Substation to alleviate Lunenburg Substations loading constraint
Slide 27: Reliability and Resiliency
Reliability and Resiliency Focusing on mitigating the impact of outages on our customers. Targeted Reliability and Resiliency • Targeted installation of undergrounding, spacer cable or automation in areas where less costly options are not available Customer Benefits • Improved reliability to day-to-
Slide 28: 2025-2029 Proposed Capital Spending Plan
2025-2029 Proposed Capital Spending Plan Overall view of the 5-year view of existing/approved spending and proposed spending. Rate Impact - ESMP will add approximately $2.35 to a typical 565 kWH monthly bill in 2026 increasing to $14.26 in 2030. The proposed spending plan ensures safe and reliable s
Slide 29: Benefits to our Customers
Benefits to our Customers November 6, 2023
Slide 30: Reliability and Resiliency analysis
Reliability and Resiliency analysis Constantly analyzing the system for ways to mitigate the impact to customers Continuous Reliability/Resiliency Analysis • Daily - focuses on system improvements that could be made in 160 1.8 order to prevent that outage from reoccurring or other resiliency 140 1.6
Slide 31: Climate Vulnerability Assessment
Climate Vulnerability Assessment Mitigate the impact climate change will have on our customers Framework to Address Climate Vulnerability • Vulnerability Assessment - focuses on system improvements that could be made in order to prevent that outage from reoccurring or other resiliency measures to re
Slide 32: Economic Benefits
Economic Benefits What economic benefits does this plan provide? This plan helps to keep investment local: • Job Creation • Benefits the communities within our service territory. • Good paying labor, vocational and technical positions which will drive income growth for the communities. • Expect thes
Slide 33: Workforce Benefits
Workforce Benefits What workforce benefits does this plan provide? The modernized grid requires a skilled workforce: • Awareness • Job openings, career fairs, community events, interesting stories and other community events • Social Media • Internships • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion • Equal Oppor
Slide 34: Health Benefits
Health Benefits What health benefits does this plan provide? The modernized grid supports clean energy: • Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions • Direct impact on improving air quality, • Result in less respiratory illness • Prevent other health related conditions due to increased temperatures • Int
Slide 35: Training Benefits
Training Benefits What job training benefits does this plan provide? The modernized grid requires more jobs: • New jobs in transmission and distribution • MACEC - 3,794 jobs • Commonwealth Clean Energy Roadmap 2050 - 16,000 jobs • Utilities, craft workers, clean energy workers, etc. • Unitil support
Slide 36: ESMP Next Steps
ESMP Next Steps What is next for ESMP? GMAC Comments • On September 1, filed ESMP with GMAC • GMAC has 80 days to provide comments back to EDC • EDCs address comments within the ESMP • Upcoming GMAC Public Meetings – October 26th, 1-4 PM – GMAC Meeting – October 30th, 6-7:30 PM – Public Listening Se
Slide 37: Planning Retreat
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION PLANNING RETREAT November 6, 2023 PAGE 37
Slide 38: Thank you for your time and interest!
Thank you for your time and interest! https://unitil.com/ma-esmp/en - English Feedback at: ESMP-Feedback@Unitil.com https://unitil.com/ma-esmp/es - Spanish https://unitil.com/ma-esmp/pt - Portuguese