Executive Summary: August 21st AEG New York 25Q3 Stakeholder Challenge: Energy Efficiency + Grid Optimization

Overview

Held on August 21st, 2025 at WSP USA in New York, NY, seventy public and private industry leaders convened for the AEG New York Stakeholder Challenge: Energy Efficiency + Grid Optimization. The purpose of this challenge was to: 1.) Agree on a critical obstacle preventing achievement of New York’s climate, health and energy goals;  2.) Align on a 90-day sprint and 12-month objective to best address this obstacle; and 3.) Enable stakeholders to create a volunteer Task Force accountable for delivering the agreed solution.

Donovan Richards Jr, Queens Borough President, Rory Christian, Chair & CEO, NY Department of Public Service, Joe Chavez, Deputy Director, NYC Mayors Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, and Carrie Meek Gallagher, CEO, Long Island Power Authority, provided opening remarks to frame the discussion surrounding energy efficiency + grid optimization for New York. 

Opening remarks were followed by the Speaker Challenge, where each speaker provided a presentation that concluded with this completed statement: "Regarding EE + Grid Optimization, to achieve New York's climate, health & energy goals, a critical obstacle to collectively overcome in 12 months is …”

5 Key Themes

1. Pair Weatherization with Electrification to Reduce Peak Load

Integrating weatherization and heating electrification is essential to reducing strain on the grid while maximizing participation across customer segments. Aligning these efforts enables broader customer uptake and lowers long-term energy demand.

“To achieve New York’s climate, health & energy goals, a critical obstacle to overcome is determining how to best integrate weatherization and heating electrification at scale across customer segments.” — Greg Elcock, Con Edison

2.  Improve Customer Engagement for Grid Flexibility

Achieving meaningful grid optimization depends on widespread customer participation in flexible demand programs. This requires improved messaging, education, and frictionless program design to foster trust and increase enrollment.

“To develop an understanding, and subsequent guidance, on how to better engage customers in participating in grid flexibility programs through improved messaging, education, and program design.”
— Kristina Kelly, DNV

3. Develop Metrics for Grid Benefits from Efficiency Investments

Current programs lack a robust, standardized way to measure the grid benefits of residential EE upgrades. Without this, energy efficiency investments are undervalued, slowing down uptake and financing.

“A critical obstacle to collectively overcome in 12 months is to develop a metric for grid benefits delivered from EE investments at homes.” — Susanne DesRoches, NYSERDA

4. Address Local Moratoriums on Battery Energy Storage

Misinformation and local restrictions on battery energy storage systems (BESS) pose a major hurdle. These moratoriums limit the deployment of critical grid infrastructure needed to integrate renewables and stabilize the grid.

“LIPA must collectively address local BESS moratoriums, as it is affecting much-needed grid optimization.” — Carrie Meek Gallagher, LIPA

5. Use Strategic Messaging and Local + IOU Partnerships to Educate Homeowners

There is a strong need to simplify how programs are communicated to homeowners in partnership with contractors. Partnering with borough leaders and using humor or emotion-based messaging can break through public confusion and build support for grid solutions.

“Using humor/rage, develop [a] messaging campaign to homeowners, educating in simple terms about the electricity market & how 3 programs (grid flexibility, weatherization and heat electrification) tie together and deliver benefit.” — Table 8/9 Group Summary

Inspired by the statements provided by Carrie Meek Gallagher (LIPA), Gregory Elcock (Con Edison), Susanne DesRoches (NYSERDA) and Kristina Kelly (DNV) participants synthesized the obstacle statements as: Realized benefits of weatherization, grid flexibility/batteries and heat electrification at scale across customer segments with clear success metrics. Participants then designed, and pitched 90-day sprints and 12-month objectives to best address this critical obstacle

19 leaders formed a volunteer Task Force to complete a 90-day sprint and 12-month objective.

Task Force Volunteers: Will Putzier, Con Edison, Chris Lubick, Itron, Marcelo Sandoval, Landis+Gyr, Ellie Zhong, WSP USA, Andrew Chintz, NYC Accelerator, Simon Mugo, NYC Accelerator, Dave Molner, The Cadmus Group, Wayne Garrett, Viridi, Paula Glover, Alliance to Save Energy, Mark Handy, C+C, William Serratore, City of Yonkers, Rebecca Biros, Daikin, Kaveh Aflaki, Insight Global, Todd Bard, LEE Thermal Energy Storage, Brian Levite, Long Island Power Authority, Larry Hirsch, Solstreet, Maxime Le Mével, The Energy Coalition, Shaun Hoyte, Con Edison, Daniella Leifer - Smart DGHub at Sustainable CUNY

To join this group of volunteers, please contact us at info@goadvancedenergy.com.

Conclusion

The AEG New York 25Q3 Stakeholder Challenge on Energy Efficiency and Grid Optimization convened state and local civic energy leaders, utility planners, demand flexibility experts, battery storage advocates, and community engagement strategists to confront key barriers to optimizing New York’s electric grid. The challenge highlighted the need to scale integrated weatherization and electrification, improve customer + contractor participation in grid programs, and resolve roadblocks to battery deployment, especially in Long Island. Key themes included valuing the grid benefits of energy efficiency, strengthening public trust through education, and coordinating local leadership to drive adoption. As volunteer task force members move forward with a 90-day sprint and 12-month roadmap, their efforts will play a critical role in delivering a more efficient, flexible, and equitable energy future for New York.

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