The Roles Generation And Transmission Cooperatives Play in DER Implementation

Abstract

Distributed energy resources have large and increasing potential to contribute to a renewable and resilient energy grid in the United States. Great River Energy, a generation and transmission electric cooperative in Minnesota, is interested in helping to expand distributed energy resources within its service territory and that of its member-owner distribution cooperatives. In this report, we analyze and describe the part that U.S. generation and transmission cooperatives have in expanding distributed energy resources, applied to the case of Great River Energy. Through literature review, analysis of case studies, conversations with referred experts and our capstone partner, and data analysis, we synthesize and give a set of recommendations for Great River Energy to consider investigating to meet its goal for increasing its generation of and support for renewable energy.