News

October 19, 2021

Post Road Announces Connected Community Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy

The Post Road Foundation is excited to announce its selection as a recipient of a “Connected Community” award from the U.S. Department of Energy. With this award, Post Road and its collaborators, including the Grid Integration Systems and Mobility (GISMo) group at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Efficiency Maine Trust, New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, and Knowledge Problem LLC, will evaluate the ability of transactive energy, a novel, smart grid technology enabled by reliable, high-speed internet access, to meet the future energy needs of rural and urban communities across the U.S. The multi-year evaluation will be conducted by deploying and monitoring the operation and performance of a particular version of transactive energy, the Transactive Energy Service System (TESS), to three “Connected Communities” in Maine and New Hampshire. The Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic and the Cyberlaw Clinic, each at Harvard Law School, are providing additional pro-bono support.

The team expects that the five-year project will demonstrate that transactive energy can (i) facilitate more effective use of electricity distribution systems through load flexibility, with applications such as peak management; (ii) reveal the financial value of DER deployment on the distribution system to motivate deployment of distributed energy resources and other efficiency measures; and (iii) lower financial and engineering hurdles to beneficial electrification — replacing fossil-fuel-powered heating and transportation with lower cost heat-pumps and electric vehicles. The project will help position transactive energy to scale nation-wide so that it can help all communities lower their energy costs and meet their sustainability, resiliency, and environmental goals.

Seth Hoedl, President, Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder of the Post Road Foundation remarked that “Post Road is honored to have been selected as an awardee of the Connected Communities program and to have the opportunity to work with such great collaborators. We’re excited to demonstrate the value of transactive energy and help advance this transformative technology for the benefit of rural and urban communities across the country. The award is also a great validation of Post Road’s vision of integrating advanced telecommunications with the electric grid.”

Senator Angus King (I-Maine) applauded the award. “In the 21st century, a high-speed broadband connection is fundamental to every facet of modern life – including our energy grid,” said Senator King. “This investment from the Department of Energy (DOE) will help the Post Road Foundation and Efficiency Maine invest in supporting smart infrastructure statewide, and use these resources to help reduce electricity costs and increase energy efficiency across Maine’s communities. From fishing and manufacturing to technology startups and financial services, all our state’s industries rely on the internet and will benefit from greener, more efficient energy. The partnership between the Post Road Foundation, Efficiency Maine, and the DOE is a perfect example of how the public and private sectors can work together to improve connectivity in a way that supports our economy and our environment, and I look forward to seeing the effects of this important funding.”

“We are excited to work with the Post Road Foundation team to test this promising technology in Maine,” said Ian Burnes, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Efficiency Maine. “Our aim is to help Maine consumers get the maximum cost savings from beneficial electrification—such as from their tens of thousands of newly installed heat pump water heaters and similar devices—and improving grid reliability at the same time.”

“The move towards a Transactive Energy Business Model is core to our strategic plan,” said Dave Erickson, Director of Access and Distributed Resources at New Hampshire Electric Cooperative. “This important work with the great team that Post Road has assembled will continue to unlock member value as the electric distribution system is used in new and innovative ways. Our sleeves are rolled up and we’re thrilled to be part of the team”

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The Post Road Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit located in Oakland, CA, is dedicated to developing and deploying synergistic infrastructure at the intersection of energy and communications. Originally spun-out of the Harvard Kennedy School in 2017 as the culmination of a research grant from The Rockefeller Foundation’s Zero Gap Initiative, Post Road addresses two of the most pressing challenges of our time, inequality and climate change, through three complementary activities: infrastructure project development, policy research, and technology demonstration projects. This unique combination of activities enables Post Road to help rural and digitally red-lined urban communities in the U.S. increase the availability and affordability of broadband and broadband-enabled energy, education, healthcare and other applications for human and economic development.

The GISMO Group at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is a multidisciplinary research group that explores cross-cutting areas in power grid, building and ambient intelligence, and human mobility and that aims to enable 100% clean energy for all. The SLAC team has a highly successful record of developing and deploying transactive energy systems and other DER technologies, such as TESS.

Efficiency Maine Trust is an independent administrator of programs to improve the efficiency of energy use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Maine. The Trust does this primarily by delivering financial incentives on the purchase of high-efficiency equipment or changes to operations that help customers save electricity, natural gas and other fuels throughout the Maine economy. The Trust is a quasi-state agency governed by a Board of Trustees with oversight from the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

New Hampshire Electric Cooperative is a member-owned non-profit (501(c)(12)) electric distribution cooperative serving 86,000 homes and businesses in 115 New Hampshire communities. NHEC is committed to high speed internet service access for its underserved members throughout New Hampshire with its new subsidiary NH Broadband. Through investments in broadband services, member outreach, smart grid technology, energy storage, innovative rates, energy efficiency, demand response, and beneficial electrification programs, NHEC is empowering its members to make energy choices that not only benefit them, but choices that benefit all.

Knowledge Problem, LLC is a thought leader in the underlying economic theory of transactive energy and has also participated in the technology development since the earliest projects. Knowledge Problem’s President, Lynne Kiesling, is also a Research Professor and Co-Director of the Institute for Regulatory Law & Economics, College of Engineering, Design & Computing, University of Colorado-Denver.

The Emmett Environmental Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School offers students the opportunity to practice environmental law through work on a variety of litigation, administrative, legislative, and policy projects. The Clinic works with scientists, medical professionals, nonprofit and public interest organizations, and government clients on environmental and energy issues at the federal, state, and local level.

The Cyber Law Clinic at Harvard Law School, based at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, provides high-quality, pro-bono legal services to clients on issues relating to the Internet, technology, and intellectual property.

October 8, 2019

The Post Road Foundation Announces Selection of a Community Partner for Further Feasibility Analysis

The Post Road Foundation has selected the Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op (PIE&G) for a full, detailed study on the feasibility of deploying a fiber optic communications network to homes, businesses and other institutions in northeast Michigan, including utility applications that could take advantage of the network. This study will complete the work initiated under a preliminary feasibility study undertaken under a grant from Post Road awarded in 2018. Northeast Michigan and PIE&G is the first community in the nation to be selected by the Post Road Foundation for this full, feasibility study. The PIE&G study, targeted for completion by March 31, 2020, will be used to evaluate the most effective means for financing the deployment of high-speed internet and intelligent infrastructure in PIE&G’s service territory to promote digital inclusion, efficient resource management and economic growth. Funding for the Post Road Foundation program, and related research at Harvard University, has been provided by The Rockefeller Foundation.

PIE&G’s successful selection was the result of collaboration between PIE&G, Wolverine Power Cooperative (WPC) and Target Alpena Economic Development Corporation. According to Tom Sobeck, President and CEO of PIE&G, “This partnership between PIE&G, WPC and Target demonstrates what can be accomplished when we work together to achieve common goals on behalf of our rural communities. The degree of economic success in our region depends very much on the ability of key community stakeholders to identify opportunities where working together maximizes future economic development and sustainability in northeast Michigan.”

The President and co-founder of the Post Road Foundation, Seth Hoedl, commended PIE&G: “Throughout the course of the preliminary study that led to this award, we have been deeply impressed by everyone we have worked with at PIE&G. We are excited to have the opportunity to continue to work with Tom and his team as we develop effective ways to achieve the goal of access to high-speed internet for everyone in America. We are grateful to all the other communities we have partnered with on preliminary studies and remain committed to helping those communities find ways to finance their fiber-to-the-home networks. We are also grateful to The Rockefeller Foundation for the funding that made this program possible and to our colleagues at the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School for their research and insights.”

“We are excited about this significant milestone towards increased digital inclusion in rural communities, and are grateful to each community that has taken the journey with the Post Road Foundation,” said Lorenzo Bernasconi, Managing Director of Innovative Finance at The Rockefeller Foundation. To scale our innovative finance solutions and make them a reality, we need a network of partners willing to push the boundaries and set the example for the rest of the country. We look forward to the next phase of this important work.”

Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op, a not-for-profit cooperative utility, provides economical, reliable electric and natural gas service to member homes, farms and businesses across nine counties in northeast Michigan. Providing services the cooperative way positions PIE&G as a regional leader in jobs promotion and economic growth in northeast Michigan.

The Post Road Foundation’s non-profit, research platform bridges the gap between communities and investors by exploring ways to reduce barriers to the development, financing, and deployment of sustainable, intelligent infrastructure, particularly in places lacking 21st century communications.

The Rockefeller Foundation advances new frontiers of science, data, policy, and innovation to solve global challenges related to health, food, power, and economic mobility. As a science-driven philanthropy focused on building collaborative relationships with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation seeks to inspire and foster large-scale human impact that promotes the well-being of humanity throughout the world by identifying and accelerating breakthrough solutions, ideas and conversations. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @RockefellerFdn.

June 6, 2019

The Post Road Foundation is excited to announce that Seth Hoedl, Chief Operating & Science Officer, received an honorable mention for the 2019 MEng Capstone Industry Mentorship Award at the 2019 Berkeley MEng Capstone Showcase. The award recognizes the Capstone advisor who fosters intellectual independence, provides project support, and furthers professional development.

May 2019

The Post Road Foundation is excited to announce that it has been awarded a generous follow-on grant from The Rockefeller Foundation to research models for promoting investment in sustainable, broadband-connected infrastructure to drive digital inclusion, efficient resource management and economic growth. The grant will support a feasibility study in one pilot community to assess in more depth the costs and benefits of deploying the fiber optic networks needed to support sustainable infrastructure. With this grant, Post Road is also continuing a close collaboration with teams from the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School to conduct research on a number of key issues affecting investment in sustainable infrastructure. Lessons learned from these studies will inform other communities that are interested in sustainable, broadband-connected infrastructure.

The feasibility study is expected to be completed by April 2020.

May 1, 2018

The Post Road Foundation Announces Selection of Community Partners for Pilot Program on Digital Inclusion and Intelligent Infrastructure

The Post Road Foundation has selected partners in five communities for a national pilot program to evaluate innovative ways of integrating ultra-high-speed internet with other utility infrastructure to promote digital inclusion, sustainable resource management and economic development. The community partners selected are the Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation in Georgia and North Carolina, the Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op in Michigan, and, in Maine, the City of Sanford, Old Town – Orono Fiber Corporation, and a collaboration of community groups in the Downeast region, including Eastern Maine Electric Cooperative and Downeast Broadband. Funding for the Post Road Foundation program, and related research at Harvard University, has been provided by The Rockefeller Foundation.

The President and co-founder of the Post Road Foundation, Waide Warner, commended the community partners: “We are very gratified by the exceptional response to our program from a number of deserving applicants around the country, but the leadership of these initial community partners was particularly impressive. We are excited to have the opportunity to work with these communities, and our research colleagues at Harvard, to explore the potential for bringing high-speed Internet to underserved areas of America. We are also grateful to The Rockefeller Foundation for the funding that made this program possible.”

Saadia Madsbjerg, Managing Director of The Rockefeller Foundation, remarked: “We are excited about this significant milestone towards increased digital inclusion in rural communities and are grateful to the communities for taking the journey with the Post Road Foundation. To scale our innovative finance solutions and make them a reality, we need a network of partners willing to push the boundaries and set the example for the rest of the country. We look forward to the next phase of the important work of the Post Road Foundation and Harvard University.”

Senator Angus King applauded the selection of the communities in Maine. “Today’s announcement by the Post Road Foundation represents a major investment in our state’s future, and reflects the ingenuity, talent, and work ethic that define Maine people,” said Senator King. “In the 21st century economy, nearly every industry, ranging from boatbuilding and manufacturing to technology startups and financial services, relies on the Internet. There is, quite simply, no tool more vital to modern life than high speed Internet – but unfortunately, far too many rural communities are being left behind. These public-private partnerships will build upon efforts to close the digital divide in regions in Maine that are struggling with slow connectivity and advance innovative approaches to deploy smart fiber networks – two important steps that will strengthen Maine’s economy and infrastructure. The Post Road Foundation has been an ideal collaborator throughout this process, and their support will open up a new world of possibilities for Maine communities; I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

October 2017

The Post Road Foundation is excited to announce that it has been awarded a generous grant from The Rockefeller Foundation to research models for promoting investment in sustainable, broadband-connected infrastructure to drive digital inclusion, efficient resource management and economic growth. The grant will support pre-feasibility studies in three pilot communities to assess the costs and benefits of deploying the fiber optic networks needed to support sustainable infrastructure. We have also embarked on a close collaboration with teams from the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School to conduct research on a number of key issues affecting investment in sustainable infrastructure. Lessons learned from these studies will inform other communities that are interested in sustainable, broadband-connected infrastructure.

The pre-feasibility studies are expected to be completed by September 30, 2018.