From Providers to Enablers: Rethinking the Role of Utilities in the Age of DERs

Source: Nick Tumilowicz | · ITRON · | June 9, 2025

The growing adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) like electric vehicles, rooftop solar and residential battery storage is driving a fundamental shift in electricity management: what once was a one-way transaction has evolved into a dynamic, two-way exchange. Utilities are not only providing energy but enabling it, while consumers are evolving into prosumers and becoming active participants in our world’s energy ecosystem. 

This is a defining moment for the energy industry—one that calls for new technologies, new approaches and new ways of thinking. Let’s take a closer look at the forces fueling this industry-wide transformation. 

The utility-consumer relationship is changing.  

Think about your own relationship with your utility. Do you receive your electricity bill in the mail or electronically? Does it show a simple lump sum or a detailed breakdown of your usage? Have you ever engaged with your utility outside of outages or billing questions?  

For many, the relationship with their utility has historically been minimal, transactional and largely reactive. This is beginning to change. As consumers adopt more assets behind the meter, enabling them to generate, store and manage their own energy, utilities need to rethink engagement. This shift requires greater transparency, frequent touch points and more opportunities for customers to support a resilient, reliable grid.  

The grid is no longer solely built around consumption. 
Consumers are becoming prosumers—producing, storing and sometimes even selling energy back to the grid. This shift represents an enormous opportunity, but only if utilities can effectively enable and coordinate participation at scale.