This has been a problem with distributed command and control systems and the reason for the advent and application of the SCADA system, (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition). There is a term used and a concept in SCADA, it is basically a question: “Where do you want your (overhead) to be handled?” Basically, many RTU, PCU end controllers have “loss of communications” and emergency control override of a local asset. IF one has a distributed grid with many aggregated microgrids, it would be wise to have a microgrid able to fall back into “islanded” operations mode until the problem is fixed.

“During the California Public Utilities Commission’s March voting meeting, solar advocates waited on hold for more than five hours to express their objections to the commission’s proposed decision on net metering. Despite the hours of public comments, the topic wasn’t on the agenda for the meeting.”

This is actually great news. The ratepayers and solar PV industry is keenly aware of how the CPUC has been infiltrated by the “will” of the IOU electric utilities. When YOU watch them and call them out, they get nervous and hope kicking the can down the road, will allow a lull in attention and they can push their agenda through and into ruling passage, before the public realizes what has happened. The neat thing about the public comment section of a public meeting. (IF) the public will, is ignored, a lawsuit can be filed to abrogate the ruling in the name of the consumer. So, five hours of verbal comments can become a sledgehammer on an unfair, Gerrymandered ruling for the utilities and against the ratepayers.