Alicia Noriega

What kinds of projects are you working on?

Grid-interactive buildings, EMIS with ASC capability, business model innovation for utilities

What are you excited about in the industry?

Our existing built environment is a key part of the larger decarbonization puzzle - and it is finally getting recognized as such (at least by some market actors).

What do you think needs to change in the industry?

Fear of change, defaulting to status quo

What do you wish we all discussed more?

Utilities have a larger hand in urban planning and the built environment than we care to admit - and should be more responsive to State and local policy and customer preference.

What’s your hot take?  

🔥 Regulators and investor owned utilities are for the most part hamstringing the market and preventing us from moving faster toward decarbonization. Part of this is justified time-intensive assessment of risk, part is entrenched fossil fuel money, and part is inability to diverge from the cost of service/regulated monopoly model that has dominated electricity delivery for 100+ years. I hear building owners in every state expressing interest in demand side solutions (DERs, electrification, flexible buildings) but searching aimlessly for adequate incentives to invest. The technology and data processing chops we need for at-scale demand-side solutions exists. Utilities are market-makers. Make the market for us. 🔥