1. The commission may approve investments by an electrical corporation in small scale or pilot innovative technology projects, including but not limited to renewable generation, micro grids, or energy storage, if the small scale or pilot project is designed to advance the electrical corporation’s operational knowledge of deploying such technologies, including to gain operating efficiencies that result in customer savings and benefits as the technology is scaled across the grid or network.

2. For purposes of this section, “electrical corporation” and “commission” shall mean the same as defined in section 386.020, but an electrical corporation shall not include an electrical corporation as described in subsection 2 of section 393.110.