East Hampton Looks to Kick Off Microgrid Study

East Hampton, NY- East Hampton Town has started work on a study to find out if a community microgrid is a viable option for certain buildings and to assess costs, benefits and next steps, town officials said this week.

Microgrids are local energy networks that can separate from the larger electrical grid in case of electric grid outages during extreme weather events or other emergencies, generating their own power for critical facilities such as health care facilities and hospital, first responders, communication centers, water supply, and government services, making communities more resilient.

“A community microgrid in East Hampton would keep critical services going in the event of a power outage during a severe storm or other emergency while also saving us energy and money during normal operation,” said Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell.

Councilwoman Sylvia Overby agreed. “If the study shows that building such a resilient, clean and smart energy system makes sense for the town, we can apply for additional state grants to pursue this further.”

The Community Microgrid Feasibility Study is funded with a $100,000 award through a NY-Prize competition. The town, after issuing a request for proposals, selected a consortium of leading national firms which is evaluating various options as part of the study.

The study will be completed in February and will show which critical facilities can be included in the microgrid area, along with estimated cost, energy savings and other benefits.

NY Prize is a three-stage competition administered by the NY State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA,, with support from the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery, to support community grid planning and development.

The feasibility study is the first stage, with audit-grade engineering design and business planning done in stage two, and project build-out happening in stage three, the town explained.

A microgrid can get its own power from various sources including solar, wind, energy storage and combined heat and power generators, and would provide electricity to critical facilities.

Microgrids also optimize energy efficiency, demand management, control and communication systems in critical facilities.

The consortium selected by the town is made up of Hitachi Consulting as the lead contractor, along with Johnson Controls, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a federal laboratory.

“Maintaining electricity supply in times of severe weather or other reasons for power outages is critical to a community safety and resilience. Microgrids allow that goal to be achieved while also reducing harmful emissions, usually at a reduced cost to end users. We are optimistic that all of these goals can be achieved by the Town of East Hampton and are thrilled to be working with such a talented team to make this vision a reality,” John Westerman, Vice President, Hitachi Microgrid Solutions, said.

The technical project team, led by Hitachi Consulting, is working closely with the Town of East Hampton, staff from Natural Resources and other departments, and the town’s energy sustainability committee.

Other partners include Village of East Hampton, East Hampton School District, Montauk Fire Department and Montauk Playhouse.

Collectively, the technical team has conducted more than 50 microgrid feasibility studies around the world. The town’s project manager John Sousa-Botos states that a number of critical facilities are being considered.

The town is seeking to improve resiliency at East Hampton Airport, Village Emergency Services, East Hampton High School, the Town Hall campus, the East Hampton Healthcare Foundation, Montauk Fire Department, and Montauk Playhouse.

“Designing a microgrid offers a unique opportunity to see how the new energy technologies can be integrated into a smart and resilient energy grid which uses local, distributed and renewable energy sources,” Gordian Raacke, executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island and chair of the Town’s Energy Sustainability Committee, said. “This is really exciting because we are building the energy system of the future right here in East Hampton.”

The microgrid study will also be utilized in plans for generating all electricity consumed in East Hampton with renewable energy sources.

The East Hampton Town board adopted a goal last year to meet 100 percent of community wide electricity consumption from renewable energy sources by the year 2020.

Last year, East Hampton Town was named a winner in the NY Prize Microgrid Competition, a first-in-the nation $40 million competition to help communities in New York State create microgrids.

East Hampton was one of 14 communities on Long Island selected as a Stage 1 winner in June. The Village of Geenport and Southampton Town were other East End winners.

Once feasibility assessments are complete, the NY Prize Selection Committee will approve up to $1 million in funding for approximately 10 detailed designs and, in the final stage, up to $7 million per project for the build and construction of approximately five community microgrids across New York State.