DiscoverEE Webinar – Unlocking the Local Grid with Distributed Energy Resources

Across Canada, utility-led demand-side management (DSM) programs have delivered measurable energy savings and peak demand reductions for decades. But the next frontier is to connect these programs with distributed energy resources (DERs) — from rooftop solar to electric vehicles — to create more flexible, resilient, and affordable local grids.

In this DiscoverEE session, Kari Hyde, Manager of Utility Integration and Demand-Side Management at the Pembina Institute, will explore how DSM can serve as the launchpad for DER orchestration. Drawing on examples from leading provinces and lessons from jurisdictions without utility-led DSM, Kari will outline the enabling conditions — data access, streamlined interconnection, fair compensation, and strong consumer protections — that allow utilities and communities to capture the full value of grid-edge resources.

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how DSM and DERs work together, how policy and program design support this integration, and what concrete steps advocates can take to accelerate local grid transformation in their province or territory.