#318 Peter Asmus, microgrid expert and author of the upcoming book "Alaska Microgrid Innovators," breaks down the current state of microgrids and battery storage. He explains why Alaska leads in microgrid innovation and what the rest of the U.S. needs to learn from remote communities.
Peter Asmus brings over 15 years of experience covering the microgrid sector. He has authored five books on energy and provides consulting through his website https://www.peterasmus.com/. His latest work focuses on Alaska's pioneering role in developing community-scale microgrids for remote, off-grid locations.
Key Discussion Points
• Alaska leads microgrid innovation due to remote communities, high diesel costs, and military installations needing reliable power
• Data centers now drive microgrid growth because utilities cannot provide power fast enough for AI infrastructure
• Microgrid controllers have advanced significantly with AI integration, allowing different manufacturers' equipment to work together
• Energy as a service models eliminate upfront costs. Peter's solar and battery system reduced his utility bill to under $10 per year
• Community microgrids require utility involvement and experimentation with different ownership models rather than a one-size-fits-all approach
• Open standards prevent vendor lock-in. The industry moved away from proprietary systems like early Apple iPhone models
• Technology exists today for large-scale microgrid deployment. The main challenge is calculating the economic value of resilience
• Utility costs in the U.S. increased 30% over the last three years, making distributed energy more economically competitive
Alaska shows us the future of microgrids. The lessons from remote communities apply everywhere resilience matters.
Connect with Peter Asmus
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pathfindercommunications/
Website: https://www.peterasmus.com/
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