Andrew Schneller

Andrew Schneller

Andrew Schneller is the Vice President of Engineering and Network Strategy at National Grid, where he is responsible for safe, reliable energy delivery on both the Transmission and Distribution Networks in the New England region. Andrew’s team is working to improve energy affordability through utilization of innovative technology and process, including building out the capabilities to better leverage the flexibility that can be provided by distributed energy resources (DERs). National Grid operates a successful demand response program across its New York and Massachusetts service territories called ConnectedSolutions, which has been operational since 2016 and provides them with access to 100 MW of dispatchable resources in New England (400 MW when considering New York). ConnectedSolutions is serving as the virtual power plant (VPP) platform for National Grid to further develop its Distribution System Operator (DSO) capabilities that are targeted at managing the distribution network in a smarter way. This work has enabled an innovative market and program-based flexibility procurement approach, including a formal solicitation process that closed in February 2026, to allow National Grid to manage distribution network capacity needs in a more agile and cost-effective way. This focus will help National Grid and asset owners to work closely together, with the team also ensuring that National Grid will be compliant with FERC’s order to facilitate aggregations of distributed resources to participate in wholesale markets, well ahead of the November 2026 deadline.