Utilities increasingly recognize microgrids and distributed energy resources as valuable tools to enhance service reliability, manage peak load, and support decarbonization goals—yet they must justify investment decisions within cost recovery frameworks, rate design structures, and regulatory oversight. 

This session will explore how utilities evaluate the economic case for microgrids, including:
• Avoided capital expenditures and non-wires alternatives
• Cost recovery, rate impacts, and regulatory alignment
• How resilience is quantified and conveyed in cost–benefit analyses
• Vendor and partner selection criteria tied to risk, lifecycle performance, and operational reliability
• Where utility procurement models support or hinder scalable deployment.

By clarifying how utilities define “value,” participants will gain insight into how microgrid proposals can be structured for strategic alignment, financial justification, and approval.