Municipal Microgrids Revisited
How to Procure Resilient Electric Power for Community Lifelines with an Energy as a Service (EaaS) Financing Model
This session was held virtually on Wednesday May 25th 2022, at Noon
In this session, you will learn the basic fundamentals of microgrid components, the challenges for siting and purchasing, new grant opportunities, and the benefits of resiliency of the grid and your community lifelines from the impacts of power outages. A representative from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center will provide an overview of Mass CEC's services and their work on microgrids. A strategic alliance of private companies, Schneider Electric, Citizen's Energy Corporation, and GZA, will discuss microgrid projects and "EaaS," an innovative method of financing a microgrid that reduces the ownership and operation risks for the municipality. Find out more about each of the panelists below.
Rees Sweeney-Taylor
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
Reese Sweeney-Taylor is the Net Zero Grid Program Manager at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, working to electrify and decarbonize the Commonwealth's electric grid at least cost while improving resiliency. Prior or Mass CEC, Rees received his Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. While in school, he received a Rappaport Public Policy Fellowship to work on Massachusetts Decarbonation Roadmap and helped to develop policy solutions for clean energy and resiliency at Converge Strategies, Form Energy and The Engine.
Bill Pfleger
Schneider Electric
Bill Pfleger is part of the Schneider Electric North American Microgrid Competency Center where he currently serves as a Project Development and Engineer, and Manager of North America - East. He is focused on microgrids and distributed energy resource projects spanning from the customer side of the meter to the utility control center. He also assists in general business development and marketing activities, product research and development, and mentors the Competency Center's Microgrid Solution Architects, a team he previously managed. Prior to his current role with Schneider Electric, Bill worked as a Microgrid Solutions Architect and Business Development and Marketing Specialist.
Rees Sweeney-Taylor
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
Reese Sweeney-Taylor is the Net Zero Grid Program Manager at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, working to electrify and decarbonize the Commonwealth's electric grid at least cost while improving resiliency. Prior or Mass CEC, Rees received his Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. While in school, he received a Rappaport Public Policy Fellowship to work on Massachusetts Decarbonation Roadmap and helped to develop policy solutions for clean energy and resiliency at Converge Strategies, Form Energy and The Engine.
Tom Vignale
Schneider Electric
Tom Vignale is a Strategic Account Manager, Electric Utilities for Schneider Electric North America. Tom holds 34 years as an Electrical Engineer, Senior Engineering Manager, Commercial Account Manager for Utility EPC's, Central Region Utility Sales Manager & Strategic Account Manager for Electric Utilities in the Northeast and Central U.S. Projects covered Power Distribution, Controls and Protection, Electrical Field Services to Utility, Industrial, Commercial and Government customers. Job function responsibilities have included Lead Engineer, Senior Management positions within engineering, Business Development Management positions within engineering, Business Development Manager to promote a variety of offers and capabilities. Prior to coming to Schneider Electric North America, Tom held both management, engineering, and sales positions with Jedson Engineering.
Wayne Cobleigh, CPSM
GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc.
Wayne Cobleigh, CPSM is Vice President of Client Services with GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., in Norwood, Massachusetts. Wayne consults with GZA's public and private clients and their legal counsel on natural hazards vulnerability assessments and climate adaption planning and design services for buildings and critical infrastructure. He specializes in climate change adaptation and resilience finance and funding. He is a contributing author and reviewer to, David Levy, Professor of Management, Sustainable Solutions Lab, University of Massachusetts Boston, on the April 2018 Report: Financing Climate Resilience, Mobilizing Resources and Incentives to Protect Boston from Climate Risks. He collaborated on funding climate resiliency and co-authored reports as a member of the Connecticut Governor's Council on Climate Change (GC3) Working Group, which published Recommendations for Funding and Financing Climate Adaptation and Resiliency, focusing on resiliency financing methods to promote social equity and environmental justice.
Stephen Bern
Director of Resiliency, Citizens Energy Corporation
Based in Boston, MA, Stephen Bern founded the Citizens's storage and microgrid business in 2018 and is responsible for all storage and microgrid-related activities, including project origination, development, construction management, financing, and asset management. Citizens Energy is a national developer and owner/operator of distributed generation and small utility scale solar, storage, and microgrid projects. The company finances all of its projects with typical project finance structures and provides all sponsor equity for each portfolio.
Prior to joining Citizens Energy, Mr. Bern was a Principal and National Grid Ventures' US Business and Development group. Over his eight year tenure at National Grid, he performed roles that included Mergers & Acquisitions, Transaction Support, and FERC Finance Manager.