Electrification has garnered a lot of attention recently across the country. Likewise in Minnesota, electrification and the associated concept of fuel switching within conservation programs have been the subject of conversations, research, policy dockets, program amendments, and conferences. The surge of interest in electrification stems from a new understanding of electrification as a tool that could provide societal benefits like carbon reductions, cost savings, efficiency, and grid benefits.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce commissioned Michaels Energy to write a white paper through their Conservation Applied Research and Development (CARD) fund. The research gathered stakeholder and expert perspectives on electrification and fuel switching. The goal of the paper was to:
- Provide Minnesota-centric analysis on the topic of electrification and fuel switching.
- Provide a primer to inform all CIP stakeholders and enable better participation in future stakeholder engagement opportunities.
- Frame-up key questions and decision points for discussion by stakeholders and consideration by regulators.
In this hour-long webinar, Michaels Energy will share the results of the interviews, a literature review, and technology research. Department of Commerce staff will provide some perspective on other efforts underway in Minnesota to gather stakeholder input on the topic. This webinar, and the white paper, both seek to be introductory resources for the industry and raise the baseline of knowledge to improve future engagement.