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Economics & Markets Advisory

Distributed Energy
Resources &
Energy Efficiency

Generation · Efficiency · Storage · Demand Response

New technologies and dramatically lower costs are opening transformative opportunities in distributed energy. We help utilities, regulators, technology developers, and large energy users find and unlock the full value of these resources.

Energy Efficiency Distributed Generation Demand Response Energy Storage Renewable Integration

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Our Expertise

Unlocking value across the distributed energy landscape

New technologies and dramatically lower costs mean growing opportunities for distributed energy resources (DERs) — encompassing energy efficiency, distributed generation, demand response, and energy storage.

"The energy system is decentralizing rapidly. The value question is no longer whether DERs work — it's how to quantify, capture, and distribute that value equitably across all stakeholders."

We work with utilities, regulators, technology developers, and large energy users to identify beneficial applications for these technologies — from program design and feasibility studies to procurement strategy and impact evaluation.

Our analysis integrates financial, regulatory, and societal dimensions to build a complete picture of value — including sovereign and community benefits that traditional analyses routinely overlook.

DER Ecosystem Coverage

Energy Efficiency Demand reduction & value realization

Distributed Generation Solar, wind & combined heat & power

Demand Response Load flexibility & grid services

Energy Storage Battery, thermal & grid-scale

Renewable Integration Grid studies & interconnection

Utility & Regulatory Tariffs, procurement & compliance

Clients We Serve

Electric Utilities Regulators & PUCs Technology Developers Large Energy Users National Guard Commands Federal Agencies

Our Services

What we deliver

Eight service offerings spanning program design, market analysis, regulatory strategy, and multi-dimensional impact evaluation across the distributed energy value chain.

Energy Efficiency & Demand Response Value Realization

Quantifying the full stack of value from EE and DR programs — bill savings, capacity deferral, reliability benefits, and avoided emissions — to build defensible program business cases for utilities and regulators.

Renewable Energy Integration Studies

Technical and economic analysis of distributed solar, wind, and storage integration — addressing interconnection, hosting capacity, curtailment risks, and the economics of high-penetration renewable scenarios.

Electricity Procurement Strategy

Designing optimal procurement strategies for large energy users and public entities — competitive RFPs, PPA terms, community choice aggregation, and virtual net metering arrangements.

Roadmap Development

Actionable DER and clean energy roadmaps for utilities, federal facilities, and large campuses — sequencing technology deployment, regulatory engagement, and infrastructure investment milestones.

Evaluation of Impacts

Rigorous measurement, verification, and evaluation (M&V) of DER program outcomes — energy savings, peak demand reduction, participant behavior, and cost-effectiveness against regulatory frameworks.

Utility Tariff Analysis

Evaluating rate design and tariff structures for DER adoption alignment — time-of-use rates, demand charges, export compensation, virtual net metering, and non-wires alternative program design.

Financial Analysis

Evaluating the financial implications of DER programs for utility revenue adequacy, rate base, and earnings — including fixed cost recovery challenges and decoupling mechanism design.

Societal & Sovereign Benefits

Capturing the broader public value of DER deployment — environmental co-benefits, energy security for military and federal facilities, economic development impacts, and equitable access considerations.

Who We Work With

Serving the full DER ecosystem

Distributed energy markets bring together stakeholders with very different interests, time horizons, and risk tolerances. Pioneer bridges these perspectives — providing analysis that all parties can rely on to make better decisions.

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Utilities & Grid Operators

Helping electric utilities quantify DER value, design equitable rate structures, navigate regulatory proceedings, and develop non-wires alternative programs that defer costly infrastructure investment.

Regulators & Policymakers

Supporting public utility commissions and state energy offices with independent analysis of DER program cost-effectiveness, tariff design, and the distributional impacts of clean energy policies.

Technology Developers & Aggregators

Market sizing, go-to-market strategy, value stack quantification, and regulatory roadmaps for companies deploying demand response, storage, solar, EV charging, and virtual power plant technologies.

Federal Agencies & Military Commands

Energy resilience roadmaps and DER deployment strategies for federal campuses and National Guard installations — integrating energy security, microgrid planning, and renewable procurement objectives.

Distributed EnergyResources &Energy Efficiency