Review of Distributed Generation Planning in New York

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Completed August 2006

Synapse collaborated with the Pace Energy Project to evaluate New York State's Distributed Generation (DG) Pilot Program. The pilot project was conducted from 2002 to 2004. Through this procedure, New York utilities put selected distribution system projects out to bid among DG developers to determine whether DG could provide the service at a lower cost than the project proposed by the utility. Of the DG bids offered, none were selected as the least-cost alternative to distribution projects.

In the fall of 2004, NYSERDA hired Pace and Synapse to evaluate the results of the three-year pilot program, assess the program's effectiveness in meeting pilot program objectives, and to identify and evaluate alternative approaches for procuring DG as a distribution system resource. Pace and Synapse made recommendations to improve the DG procurement process based on our independent assessment of the DG Pilot experience, as well as based on a review of similar efforts to integrate DG in transmission and distribution system planning across the United States.  The report was completed in August 2006.