Modernizing the Calfornia Grid : Preparing for a Future with High Penetrations of Distributed Energy Resources

California is at the forefront of the power grid evolution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable customer self-generation. Distributed energy resources (DERs) are the latest in a series of technology advancements that challenge the electric industry to evolve. While there is a long history of disruptive technologies that have impacted the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, one of the unique challenges of DER s is that they are adopted directly by customers with minimal utility management and control (Figure 1).