Date: November 2025

Can we unlock the full value of open standards as we integrate DER technologies into load management programs and support customers on dynamic pricing? This session explores available standards, showcases PG&E use cases, and considers future applications. Panelists will share implementation experiences and debate the benefits and challenges of different approaches.This panel will demystify standards across two dimensions: technical protocols and the organizational commitment required to support them. We’ll explore why utilities need dedicated staff to manage standards from deployment to updates to troubleshooting. We will discuss the costs and complexities of adopting new standards for utilities and partners, and how open protocols could reduce costs of leveraging DERs. Panelists will openly debate: Do standards accelerate or impede innovation? How do certification requirements balance creativity with interoperability? What’s practical, and what’s cost-effective? This session invites a candid discussion about navigating standards to unlock demand flexibility at scale.

Speakers:
Olivia Patterson, Opinion Dynamics
Robert Anderson, Olivine
Wendy Brummer, PG&E
Dr. Scott Coe, GridOptimize
John Powers, Elexity
Bruce Nordman, LBNL (Retired)