As the United States confronts the challenges of rising utility costs, surging energy demand and grid constraints, a key growth engine for tomorrow’s power system is emerging — not from large utility-scale plants, but from distributed assets deployed close to the local communities and businesses they serve.
Having worked in the solar industry since co-founding SunEdison in 2003, I have had the chance to watch this evolution take place. Distributed energy resources (DERs) — especially solar paired with battery storage — are increasingly positioned to become a defining feature of the nation’s future energy landscape. As this shift accelerates, the expanding DER landscape offers institutional investors a timely opportunity — one that pairs strong, stable returns with the broader benefits of a more resilient and sustainable energy system.
Key drivers of the DER revolution
Several macroeconomic and industry-specific trends are converging
