SENATE Bill (SB) 1928, known as the "Microgrid Systems Act," is a good piece of legislation for several reasons and should be enacted into law. But it should be done so with the understanding that it is a half-measure, or to put it nicely, an interim step. It needs to be followed up with more comprehensive action if the intention is to truly encourage the transformation of the country's energy infrastructure, rather than just fill a decades-old gap.
The purpose of SB 1928 is described in its self-explanatory long title, "An Act Promoting the Use of Microgrid Systems for the Total Electrification of Unserved and Underserved Areas." The bill, which is a product of the Senate energy committee and principally authored by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, provides for the creation and regulation of microgrids in areas that are either not connected to any sort of electricity distribution system (unserved) or where electricity supply is available for less than 24 hours a day in spite of being served by a distribution utility (underserved).
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