In Focus at Microgrid Knowledge 2026: MGK Readers Name Industry's Biggest Challenges
Key Highlights
- - Regulatory uncertainty remains the top challenge, with 37% of industry stakeholders citing government-related issues as a barrier to microgrid growth.
- - Market awareness and operational complexity are also key hurdles, affecting the sector's expansion and adoption.
- - The conference features expert speakers from leading organizations like NASA, Duke Energy, and Schneider Electric, providing diverse perspectives on microgrid development.
The Microgrid Knowledge Conference is coming up in less than a month in Orlando, and the on-site power world will gather to discuss the greatest challenges, lessons learned and success stories for microgrid development both in the U.S. and around the world.
In advance of Microgrid Knowledge Conference happening May 4-6, we sought your input on what represented the greatest challenges facing microgrid market development in this new year of so many economic, infrastructure and geopolitical issues. The microgrid sector is growing, whether it’s through the energy resiliency movement for mission critical infrastructure, and the speed-to-power dynamics of rising AI and data center demand.
And with expansion comes growing pains. Among our Microgrid Knowledge readers, the leading plurality blamed the government. Regulatory uncertainty, in other words, was the top challenge according to 37% of those polled.
Interconnection being the long-term struggle it is, the second biggest concern was technical integration of microgrid assets with existing energy systems and facility infrastructure. More than one-fifth felt that was top of mind.
Limited market awareness of the microgrid value proposition and operational complexity ranked third and fourth, respectively, at 16% and 14% of Microgrid Knowledge poll respondents. Supply chain constraints fell in last among the options at 11%.
All five of these challenges will be under the Microgrid Knowledge microscope when the conference begins May 4. MGK 2026 runs through May 6 at the Renaissance SeaWorld in Orlando. Registration remains open.
The level of content and depth of analysis crosses many sectors beyond microgrids. Among the presenters participating in sessions will include microgrid experts from Schneider Electric, Wood Mackenzie, Colusa Indian Energy, ELM Microgrid, NASA, S&C Electric, Oak Ridge National Lab, Hover Energy, the city of Euclid, Ohio, Duke Energy, Arizona State University, New Sun Road, Mayfield Renewables, CPower Energy Management, American Microgrid Solutions, PayOli Solar, e2 Companies, Florida Power & Light, Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña (Puerto Rico), Xendee, Georgia Power, Energy Vault, McKinstry and Edison Electric Institute, among others.
The utility host for the Microgrid Knowledge Conference is Duke Energy.
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About the Author
Rod Walton, Microgrid Knowledge Managing Editor
Managing Editor
For Microgrid Knowledge editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].
I’ve spent the last 18 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. I was an energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World before moving to business-to-business media at PennWell Publishing, which later became Clarion Events, where I covered the electric power industry. I joined Endeavor Business Media in November 2021 to help launch EnergyTech, one of the company’s newest media brands. I joined Microgrid Knowledge in July 2023.
I earned my Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. My career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World, all in Oklahoma . I have been married to Laura for the past 36-plus years and we have four children and one adorable granddaughter. We want the energy transition to make their lives better in the future.
Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech are focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.