ConnectedSolutions: An Assessment for Massachusetts

This report assesses the design and performance of the Massachusetts ConnectedSolutions program during its initial 3-year program implementation cycle.

ConnectedSolutions is a nation-leading program that offers incentives to residential and commercial electric customers in exchange for allowing their electric utility to draw on the energy stored in their grid-connected batteries and/or to curtail energy use via smart thermostats or electric vehicle charging at times of peak electric demand.

Initial results have been impressive: launched as a full program offering in 2019, ConnectedSolutions had about 34,000 customer participants with 310 megawatts of capacity enrolled by the end of 2020. The program has reduced expensive peak demand, provided electricity cost savings, enhanced resiliency for participating residential, commercial, and industrial customers, and contributed to meeting the Commonwealth’s energy storage and clean peak goals. However, the program administrators have not made it accessible to low-income and historically underserved communities, and program growth will need to accelerate significantly in order to keep pace with goals, including clean peak targets, set by the Commonwealth.

This report was prepared by the Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) on behalf of Clean Energy Group.

This work is supported by a grant from the Barr Foundation.