Unlocking affordability with DERs: How utilities can turn distributed assets into trusted grid value

February 03, 2026
Grid Edge Intelligence - Booth #4845
Grid Edge Intelligence Hub , DER , Grid Edge , Reliability and Resilience

As affordability pressures rise and electrification accelerates, US utilities are planning new ways to tap distributed energy resources (DERs) to keep the grid reliable and costs down. But to make DER flexibility real, utilities will need better visibility of these assets, credible ways to value them, and confidence in how they perform.

This session outlines what utilities are preparing to do, or already doing to: prove location-specific value, understand real-world DER behavior, quantify trusted benefits, and test performance before committing capital or entering regulatory proceedings.

We’ll look at what it will take to make DER flexibility a dependable part of their future system.

Session Sponsored by Electron

Speakers
Mark Rawson
Mark Rawson, Senior VP, North America - Electron
Carrie Harkness
Carrie Harkness, Product Manager - Consumers Energy
Obadiah Bartholomy
Obadiah Bartholomy, Manager, Distributed Energy Resources - SMUD