Uncategorized

A large US utility is changing to meet market demand!

Consider this statement issued by one of the largest utilities in the US:

“The 2010s version is, you’ve got big players, a single project for the entire need. It’s an old-school utility procurement,” said Josh Tom, National Grid’s director of energy transition solutions. “It’s a closed system, not accessible to everyone. And it can take a long time.”

These slow, burdensome, and costly approaches have yielded only a handful of successful projects over the years. National Grid’s new program, by contrast, is built around a marketplace platform into which companies can bid resources ranging from big batteries to lots of smart thermostats.

They just BLEW UP their business model. Utilities in the US already have competition for power and gas supply. Their last exclusive service (monopoly) was in the distribution of electricity and gas.

This utility, National Grid, recognizes that it cannot solve the distribution problem without adding to its other problem, which is cost.

So, what is the alternative? Yankee ingenuity, good old competition, or market response. National Grid is seeking to allow the utility to dispatch or control battery chargers, home generators, EVs, solar panels, and any generation or larger demand loads (big appliances). They will not own or pay for these sources, therefore they will have little cost. However, by increasing power supply for short periods of time or decreasing demand, they are looking to relieve peak congestion and pricing.

Realgy congratulates National Grid on its focus on addressing and helping to solve all related problems.

Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer serving commercial customers in the states of Illinois, and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.

Realgy owns and operates 11 solar plants in Illinois and is looking to invest in additional locations. Soon to be 12 with the inclusion of Highland Park newest recreation center West Ridge Center – New Community Recreation Facility Coming in 2026 | Park District of Highland Park

Additional Information:
Massachusetts tries a market for distributed energy to… | Canary Media

Implementation of the State of Illinois’ investment in solar has not been without issues.

Illinois has supported solar investment in conjunction with job programs and small business incentives.
Unfortunately, blending these priorities has not been without issues; consider the restitution program for the payment of RECs to the Illinois Shine administrator (typically a small business) that was not paid to the solar project owner.

HOWEVER, such implementation missteps and having multiple priorities are now returning benefits.

The Illinois Shine program has recertified future REC payments to help ensure the payments flow to the solar project owners.

Illinois solar installers are booming. This is due in part to the State of Illinois requiring job training, prevailing wage payments, and implementation review (oversight).

Realgy’s experience has been such an example.

We are trying to recover funds from the Illinois Shine restitution program. However, we continue to invest in solar projects in Illinois.

Our installer, Love Energy, through its investment in training, support, and mentorship, is now a competitive energy installer.

Sometimes it takes a reboot to achieve all the benefits of a program.

Congratulations to the State of Illinois for continuing to work toward creating a solar program that supports not only lower energy prices but good jobs and a better environment.

Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer serving commercial customers in the states of Illinois, and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM Index, Fixed and PriceAssuranceTM.

Realgy owns and operates 11 solar plants in Illinois and is looking to invest in additional locations. Soon to be 12 with the inclusion of Highland Park newest recreation center West Ridge Center – New Community Recreation Facility Coming in 2026 | Park District of Highland Park

Additional Information:
Illinois’ booming solar sector entices young job… | Canary Media

It’s not just AI or data centers. Electricity is the number one choice for use in homes in the US.

This is a technology story.

Fossil fuel technology has improved efficiency. However, heat pumps that can both heat and cool a home have nearly doubled in efficiency in the last 10 years.

Builders and homeowners have many choices for energy decisions. The selection of electric-driven heating and cooling includes common equipment, no plumbing required, no exhaust, and strong consumer demand.

Consider just clothes dryers. What percentage nationwide use natural gas to dry clothes?

Only 20%!

Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer serving commercial customers in the states of Illinois, and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed Savings^TM, ManagedPrice^TM, ManagedGreen^TM Index, Fixed and PriceAssurance^TM.

Realgy owns and operates 11 solar plants in Illinois and is looking to invest in additional locations. Soon to be 12 with the inclusion of Highland Park newest recreation center West Ridge Center – New Community Recreation Facility Coming in 2026 | Park District of Highland Park

Additional Information

Building on farmland is seemingly always controversial. I recall housing developments, wind projects, and now data centers.

It all comes down to scarce resource utilization and quality of life.

All land uses require water, power, and land. Some require more than others.

Data centers have enormous power and water needs.

Farming also requires water, and in the Midwest that means groundwater. The conflict arises when increasing water demands drain aquifers, leaving the land worthless for farming and ranching.

The State of Illinois is providing incentives for data centers. With the promise of jobs, the state is offering tax exemptions worth over $250 million.

Powering these data centers requires new energy sources. Wind and solar remain the least costly and least polluting options.

Balancing future needs has always been a struggle, but today it feels more acute because land use may become a winner-take-all situation.

Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer serving commercial customers in the states of Illinois, and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed Savings^TM, ManagedPrice^TM, ManagedGreen^TM Index, Fixed and PriceAssurance^TM.

Realgy owns and operates 11 solar plants in Illinois and is looking to invest in additional locations. Soon to be 12 with the inclusion of Highland Park newest recreation center West Ridge Center – New Community Recreation Facility Coming in 2026 | Park District of Highland Park

Additional Information:

Illinois Excels as Top 5 Global Data Center Destination – Be In Illinois

Data centers worth environmental tradeoffs, Illinois towns say

AI Power Demands: How AI is Affecting Energy Demand – Realgy Energy Services