At LF Energy Summit 2024 in Brussels, a panel discussion titled “Why Open Standards Are Important for the Energy Sector, and How to Progress Them” shed light on the crucial role of open standards in the energy sector and how industry stakeholders are navigating their development and adoption. Moderated by Alex Thornton of LF Energy, the panel featured Minh Dupuis (GE Vernova), Savannah Goodman (Google), Nico Rikken (Alliander), and Lonneke Driessen (Open Charge Alliance). Key highlights follow, and a full video recording is at the end of this post.
The Role and Challenges of Open Standards
The panelists highlighted how open standards foster innovation, enable interoperability, and promote collaboration across the energy sector. However, despite their benefits, the process of creating and implementing these standards can be challenging. Dupuis pointed out that as a large vendor, GE Vernova faces the challenge of aligning with multiple, sometimes competing, standards for market and grid operations, often without a clear regulatory mandate. The complexity of navigating various versions of protocols like the Common Information Model (CIM) can slow down implementation and create inefficiencies.
Driessen shared a unique perspective from the Open Charge Alliance, which developed an open source protocol for electric vehicle (EV) charging. She emphasized that open standards not only encourage faster development and adoption but also drive organizations to work harder and smarter, especially when not tied to established standards bodies like ISO. By opening their protocol and collaborating with stakeholders across the EV ecosystem, they were able to gain traction and trust over time.
Speed vs. Governance: Open Standards vs. Traditional Standards Bodies
One of the key issues raised during the discussion was the balance between the agility of open standards and the governance processes of traditional bodies like ISO and IEC. Savannah Goodman from Google highlighted the stark difference between the slow pace of traditional standards governance (such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which took years to develop) and the speed at which open source standards can evolve. Goodman argued that while governance is necessary for fairness, it often stifles innovation. In the fast-moving energy sector, there is a clear need for more nimble approaches that open source projects can provide.
Benefits of Collaboration and Openness
The panelists underscored that collaboration is essential for the success of open standards. Nico Rikken emphasized that aligning open source efforts with formal standards is challenging but possible, citing Alliander’s experience with both open source and ISO standards. Dupuis shared an example from GE Vernova’s collaboration with North American grid operators, where co-developing an open API for line ratings with MISO helped accelerate product sales and build trust with customers.
Goodman pointed to Google’s work on carbon accounting standards, noting that collaboration with third-party research and utilities was key to ensuring credibility and wide adoption. Similarly, Driessen urged grid operators, utilities, and governments to get involved in open source initiatives, warning that without their support, open standards may struggle to gain the momentum needed for widespread adoption.
The Future of Open Standards in Energy
In their closing remarks, the panelists expressed optimism but also called for continued support from across the industry. Rikken stressed the importance of finding ways to integrate traditional standards with open source methodologies, while Driessen made a passionate plea for more participation from grid operators and governments in open source standardization efforts. Goodman added that collaboration and alignment between open standards and established regulatory frameworks are key to ensuring that energy systems can scale sustainably.
