Basics
What is a Milligrid? How do they differ from Microgrids?
According to Lawrence Berkeley National Labs and the Department of Energy, a Milligrid is a type of microgrid that involves a segment of the legacy regulated utility grid. This differs from a true microgrid, which are wholly on one site…
Read more →How Distributed Microgrids Limit The Need For Spinning Reserves
The best way to ensure reliability on the electric grid is to assume everything will eventually fail, and be prepared with backup systems. Redundancy is essential for building resilient systems in both engineering and nature. It is one reason why…
Read more →Why Microgrids Matter: A Microgrid Infographic from OBG
OBG, an advanced manufacturing and engineering firm based in Syracuse, NY explains why microgrids are so important for the evolution of the electric grid. Why Microgrids Matter "The electric grid is an engineering marvel but its aging infrastructure and…
Read more →How Microgrids Work
A short explainer video from Texas Engineering (UT Austin Cockrell School) on how microgrids work.
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What is a Microgrid? There's More Than One Microgrid Definition
Editor's note (2026): The definitions gathered here still hold, but the market around them has scaled dramatically since this piece was first published. Wood Mackenzie's US Microgrid Outlook 2026 now tracks 5,338 U.S. microgrid projects that are operational, under construction, planned or stalled…
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