As electricity demand grows and more customer-owned energy resources connect to the grid, reliable and affordable service depends on better coordination. The Reference Coordination Architecture (RCA), developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory with support from the Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity, provides a framework for coordinating transmission, distribution, markets, and customer resources. The RCA and three supporting publications explore the framework, its application, and the capabilities required to implement it.

These resources support utilities, transmission and distribution operators, market operators, distributed energy resource aggregators, regulators, technology developers, and researchers. Decision-makers can use them to inform modernization priorities and investments. Planners, engineers, and system architects can explore roles, information-sharing requirements, and approaches to implementing and evaluating coordination capabilities.

Explore the Reports

Reference Coordination Architecture

The foundational report defines principles, roles, functional requirements, and information exchanges for coordinating grid operations and markets. It describes how distributed energy resources can provide grid services while respecting transmission and distribution constraints. A staged “Walk, Jog, Run” approach helps organizations address immediate needs while planning for more advanced capabilities. View PDF report. 

Case Studies Applying the Reference Coordination Architecture

Three case studies explore how the RCA could support large, dynamic digital loads, such as AI data centers, extreme cold-weather events, and restoration following a cascading blackout. Each examines participant responsibilities and coordination needs across the Walk, Jog, and Run stages, illustrating potential paths toward a more resilient, affordable, and flexible grid. View PDF report.

Modeling the Reference Coordination Architecture: An Exercise in Architectural Validation

This report translates the RCA into modeling workflows and validation procedures. Using a testbed and the three case studies, it evaluates information exchanges, decision sequences, and interactions between market and grid operations. It provides a technical reference for assessing coordination functions while preserving each participant’s responsibility for its own data and models. View PDF report.