NC Clean Energy Technology Center Launches DSIRE Insight Policy Research Platform Through New Private Venture

The N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) announced the spin-out of a new policy research platform, DSIRE Insight. DSIRE Insight is an extension of NCCETC's Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) and the 50 States policy report series, including Grid Modernization, Electric Vehicles and Distributed Solar.  The project is the first joint venture between NCCETC and its newly formed private spin-out venture, CleanTech Strategies, LLC (CTS).

DSIRE Insight offers new subscription services providing biweekly legislative and regulatory tracking, data products, and webinars related to solar energy, grid modernization, and electric vehicles. The service is intended to meet the needs of policymakers, project developers and financiers in the clean energy sector that need a deeper and a timelier dive into state and policy changes currently under consideration than the DSIRE database traditionally provides.

According to Stephen Kalland, Executive Director of NCCETC and Principal with CTS, "The new DSIRE Insight services build upon the already huge demand generated by our 50 States report series.  Along with the 50 States reports, new biweekly legislative and regulatory tracking, key informational datasets on topics like national utility avoided cost rates and other custom consulting services will be available. "

The new DSIRE Insight service is a key part of NCCETC's strategy to keep the core content of the historical DSIRE database funded, updated, and freely available to the over 100,000 unique visitors that the site sees each month.  Revenue from the DSIRE Insight service will be used to help fund NCCETC staff and keep the core DSIRE database free, something that is key since the U.S. Department of Energy discontinued its funding for the site in late 2017. The Department of Energy had previously funded the core DSIRE site, which provides public information on federal, state and utility policies and incentives currently in place for renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, since 1995.

Kalland stated, "We at NCCETC are committed to the public good represented by making clean energy policy information as easily and understandably available to the broader public as we can.  We are excited to expand our work to offer these new policy research services while continuing to maintain the DSIRE database."

N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center | www.nccleantech.ncsu.edu