Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and automation, has officially announced the launch of Accelerating Resilient Infrastructure Initiative, which happens to be a nationwide effort focused on rapidly deploying resilient, community-based energy systems across the U.S.
According to certain reports, the stated initiative is designed to accommodate more than 20 partners for the purpose of supporting public and private sector organizations with innovative solutions and financing. More on the same would reveal how this initiative comes at a pivotal moment for U.S. energy infrastructure. We say so because, with federal incentives currently available for clean energy projects, communities now have a distinctive opportunity to accelerate deployment of resilient energy infrastructure.
Another detail contextualizing the importance of such a development would be the fact that, by 2028, the U.S. power grid is expected to reach a critical inflection point, where peak electricity supply may no longer meet peak demand,
Against that, Schneider’s latest push is designed to ease grid stress and curb rising energy costs. This involves scaling distributed energy resources (DERs) to include solar panels, battery energy storage, geothermal heat pumps, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. You see, thanks to the availability of these technologies, the initiative should be able to help communities reduce reliance on the centralized grid, mitigate the impact of rising utility rates, strengthen energy resilience, and support long-term sustainability goals.
“The initiative is a powerful example of how industry collaboration and digital innovation can accelerate the deployment of resilient energy infrastructure at scale,” said Darryl Willis, Corporate Vice President, Energy & Resources Industry at Microsoft. “By combining Schneider Electric’s expertise with Microsoft’s trusted cloud and AI technologies, we are helping communities strengthen critical infrastructure, unlock new business value and advance a more sustainable, secure and resilient energy future.”
Talk about partners that are set to join the given effort, we begin from Microsoft, who will bring cloud, AI and data capabilities. As for the infrastructure, it will be provided by AlphaStruxure, AZZO, Celsius Energy, CDM Smith EVerged, Mainspring Energy, Pisgah Energy, Sprocket Power, Sunrock Distributed Generation, Sustainability Partners, Unison Energy, Verdant Microgrid and Viridi.
Consulting firms, Arcadis, Baringa and Viridi Edge; electrical distributor Graybar; global insurer Zurich; and the nonprofit Resilient Cities Network will also join the mix.
Markedly enough, AlphaStruxure, AZZO, EVerged, Unison Energy, Verdant Microgrid and Sunrock have made $7.5 billion in capital available to finance energy resilience projects for sites, such as municipal facilities, airports, campuses, hospitals, schools, seaports and water-treatment plants.
Turning our attention towards resilient energy systems already being deployed, they include AlphaStruxure’s microgrids at two bus depots, Brookville and the David F. Bone Equipment Maintenance and Transit Operations Center (EMTOC), both offering enough support for county’s 100% carbon emissions reduction goal.
While Brookville powers up to 70 electric buses with a 6.5-megawatt microgrid; EMTOC will eventually support 200 zero-emission buses.
Next up, there is the Piscataway Goes Green” initiative focused on deploying 2.9-megawatt solar and microgrid system across eight municipal buildings, including Town Hall and Public Safety buildings. This particular project packs together 28 EV charging stations, understood to be largest municipal deployment in New Jersey.
All in all, the given project expected to reduce the township’s carbon footprint by more than 50% before 2026 and deliver $19 million in savings over 20 years.
Then, there is a microgrid in Murfreesboro, which is designed to combine solar, battery storage and smart energy management to serve 750,000 residents across four counties.
Joining that would be a 4.2-megawatt solar project across 10 school buildings, a project which is geared towards saving the district $450,000 annually in utility costs. The project will also eliminate approximately 9 million pounds of carbon emissions.
“Communities are under increasing pressure to maintain reliable, affordable power in the face of aging infrastructure, extreme weather, rising demand and evolving cyber threats,” said Jana Gerber, North American President of Microgrids for Schneider Electric. “With power outages costing the U.S. economy an estimated $150 billion each year, the need for resilient energy infrastructure has never been more urgent. This initiative brings together industry leaders to accelerate the deployment of local, future-ready energy solutions, helping communities reduce risk, control costs and ensure continuity of critical services.”
