Challenge

In 2023, Maryland’s General Assembly established an energy storage target, becoming the 10th U.S. state to do so. The legislation calls for 3 GW of energy storage to be deployed by 2033, with interim targets for 2027 and 2030. In response, the Maryland Public Service Commission – already engaged in complex rulemakings on multiple fronts – would need to create an energy storage marketplace out of whole cloth. But first, it would need to report important details back to the General Assembly in just a few months – an extraordinarily short timeframe.

Solution

EPDI worked closely with stakeholders and staff at the Maryland PSC to efficiently design a comprehensive energy storage program and achieve equitable and cost effective deployment targets. EPDI used design thinking principles to sidestep historical bottlenecks and transform the PSC’s process into an accelerated and collaborative project that built stakeholder understanding and trust. With limited PSC resources and capacity, EPDI played a key facilitation role throughout the project lifecycle, helping the PSC meet tight deadlines without compromising quality.

Results to date:

• Filed interim report with General Assembly after drastically accelerated process with input from dozens of stakeholders
• Developed project plan identifying clear milestones and technical issues to be addressed
• Built shared understanding and stakeholder alignment to remove barriers to future energy storage policy deployment
• A 63 page report for the Energy Storage Program Workgroup
• Three tools/deliverables: Grid Services Framework, Deployment Incentive Framework, and the Energy Storage Charing Rates Tariff