John Morrill of Arlington County, Virginia

Abstract:

In September 2019 the Arlington County Board adopted a revision to its Community Energy Plan. This update, an element of Arlington’s Comprehensive Plan, establishes a goal of 100 percent renewable electricity community-wide by 2035, and carbon neutrality by 2050.

This presentation will describe the modeling and key assumptions from the analysis underlying the plan, and the dramatic changes needed in the electric grid for Arlington (or any other community) to achieve these ambitious goals. Key factors include: strong growth in distributed renewable electricity within Arlington and the region; electric energy storage; utility-scale renewable electricity generation; and widespread electrification of transportation. All of this will require a smarter, more dynamic, transactive grid.

The talk will also discuss the tension between policies to increase energy efficiency and policies to increase use of renewable energy, inviting discussion with participants.

Biography:

John Morrill is the Energy Manager for Arlington County, Virginia.   He helped establish and now co-leads the Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy (AIRE), the County’s award-winning climate action program.  Prior to joining Arlington County, John held several research and management positions at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). He is coauthor of two books, and has written articles for academic and consumer audiences alike.

He double-majored in Physics and Science, Technology & Society at Clark University (Phi Beta Kappa) and received a Master’s in Urban & Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia, School of Architecture.

John serves on the Board and is Vice Chair of the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council (VAEEC), and he is also on the Board of the Virginia Energy Purchasing Governmental Association (VEPGA).