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The document argues that traditional utility business models, based on natural monopolies and centralized generation, are ill-equipped for the rise of distributed energy resources (DERs). It proposes a transition from a linear value chain to a 'value constellation' where the utility acts as a platform for value-based transactions. The paper outlines several potential models, including the Integrated Distributed Resource Manager, the Distributed Resource Finance Aggregator, and the Independent Distribution Network Operator, while discussing international examples of transactive grids and differentiated network charges.

The report evaluates Denmark's efforts to increase biogas production from 5% to 50% of total manure by 2020 to meet renewable energy and GHG targets. It identifies significant financial and infrastructural barriers at the national level, including a lack of break-even pricing and an 'infrastructural lock-in' favoring existing energy providers. A case study of the Biokraft plant on Bornholm reveals that while political support and nutrient management benefits (such as meeting 'harmony requirements') enable adoption, the plant suffered from failed high-tech investments and unstable manure supply. The report concludes that biogas's effectiveness as a tool for combating nutrient pollution is contested, and its success depends on multi-stakeholder innovation partnerships and a more transparent debate on its actual risks and benefits.