International District Energy Association and Microgrid Resources Coalition Announce Merger
Organizations look to accelerate microgrid deployment in North America
WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — The International District Energy Association (IDEA) and the Microgrid Resources Coalition (MRC) announced a merger agreement to integrate the resources and technical and regulatory expertise of the MRC into IDEA as part of a collaborative strategy to strengthen information exchange and advocacy efforts aimed at improving the technical, regulatory, and policy landscape for microgrids.
“Microgrids are a growing segment of the energy industry and integral to our work at IDEA,” said Rob Thornton, IDEA president and CEO. “Today, we are witnessing a paradigm shift from remote central station power plants toward more localized, distributed generation for enhanced reliability, resiliency, and energy efficiency, especially in cities, communities, and campuses. IDEA members have been operating CHP [combined heat and power ]/district energy microgrids for decades, long before the term ‘microgrid’ was even coined. IDEA and MRC have much in common in terms of membership and mission, and we share an objective to inform energy policy makers and regulators about the myriad benefits microgrids can deliver. We are eager to bring our resources to deepen our partnership with MRC, integrating the regulatory and policy expertise of MRC with the practical, operational insights of over 2,100 IDEA members around the globe to accelerate microgrid deployment in North America.”