Just as the electric grid itself needs to change, so too do the ways we work together to plan for, understand, and participate in our grid. The Grid Collaboration Lab provides grants and forums that bring together diverse voices to develop technical foundations and explore new approaches to grid policy, regulation, and technology adoption and integration. By connecting utilities, government agencies, industry, community advocates, and academics early in the process, we help build the next set of solutions for the Massachusetts energy system.
Grid Collaboration Lab Projects
"Transitioning to the Future Grid in Massachusetts" Event Series
MassCEC, in collaboration with ACT, held the 2025 edition of the Future Grid Event Series. Building off the successful 2024 Transitioning to the Future Grid Event Series, the 2025 edition of the Future Grid Event Series explored critical electric grid topics, centering conversation around the context of the Commonwealth’s energy future. The 2025 Future Grid Event Series featured convenings on:
- Balancing Data Center Energy Use with Climate Goals (May 21 at Foley Hoag)
- An Equitable Distributed Energy Future (June 26 at UMass Lowell)
- Power at the Grid-edge (October 3rd at Federal Reserve Bank of Boston)
Developing a Grid Services & Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) Compensation Method
MassCEC led the Grid Services Study, convening National Grid, Eversource, Unitil, the MA Department of Energy Resources, and the MA Attorney General’s Office, to explore new ways to use DERs to support the local electric grid.
- Using DERs in innovative ways can improve energy affordability by decreasing grid investment, enhancing reliability, and supporting prudent grid planning – all by tapping into resources already deployed for decarbonization.
- DERs play a critical role in the grid by providing a range of possible services, such as capacity relief, infrastructure deferral and avoidance, and voltage support.
- Untapped opportunities already exist to connect and use DERs as flexible resources to respond to location-specific grid needs. However, for DERs to provide value to the local (distribution) grid, we must determine the appropriate, effective level of compensation for DERs providing grid services.
