There’s a great article in Green Tech Media yesterday – “Balance Energy Wants to Build Microgrids, Starting With San Diego”. Microgrids, covering cities and townships are necessary - it’s a great way to take pressure off of the national grid, keep power somewhat localized, reduce lose in transmission. Hopefully we’ll see more efforts like the San Diego initiative across the country.

A newly launched effort of BAE Systems that's employing one of

Balance Energy is a San Diego-based initiative of the U.S. arm of British defense contractor BAE Systems PLC. Though it has a short history, it launched its plans with great fanfare Tuesday in an after-hours presentation at the GridWeek conference in Washington, D.C.

"We supply end customers with renewable energy, and package it up into a microgrid," Terry Mohn, Balance Energy's chief innovation officer, said Tuesday.

Mohn until recently held the title of Technology Strategist for Sempra Energy, the parent company of utility San Diego Gas & Electric (see Smart Grid Q&A: Terry Mohn).  

So perhaps it's not surprising that Balance Energy's first project is intended to be with San Diego Gas & Electric.

Mohn described it as a $212 million project aimed at providing the University of California at San Diego with its own microgrid – a self-contained electricity generation and distribution system that can serve as an island of stability amidst a wider-scale power grid.