August 26
SMUD Unveils New Managed EV Charging Pilot with Automakers
Top consumer smart energy news hand-selected and brought to you by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
Member News
SMUD recently announced a new managed EV charging pilot with BMW, Ford and General Motors, which SMUD said will help EV customers align their charging needs to the time of day when it is most affordable. Building on earlier EV incentives, SMUD is now working with the three automakers to test how it can help customers charge their cars at times of day that promote optimal load management.
Duke Energy Florida announced two new battery sites in Alachua and Hamilton counties to enhance grid operations, increase efficiencies and improve overall reliability. Duke Energy Florida’s continued investment in battery technology reflects the company's belief that energy storage plays a significant and evolving role in how energy is delivered to customers now and in the future.
Berkeley Lab has been studying power system dynamics to help utilities, power grid operators and regulators understand the best way to approach the transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy and electrification. A study released on August 23 found that both energy efficiency and demand response programs are helpful ways to reduce emissions and avoid overbuilding new generation and transmission.
Toledo Edison, a FirstEnergy Corp. electric company, announced it was wrapping up smart grid upgrades in Lucas County, Ohio, that will minimize service disruptions, particularly during severe weather. The upgrades include installing new, automated equipment and technology in substations and power lines. The project started in 2020 under the company’s portfolio of grid modernization and is on track to be completed this summer.
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Industry News
Nearly 2,500 PG&E customers with Tesla battery systems came together to contribute up to 16.5 MW of solar power to California’s grid last week, amid calls from the grid operator for customers to conserve energy. The Tesla and PG&E virtual power plant was activated for the first time Aug. 17, PG&E Corp. CEO Patti Poppe said in a tweet, adding that “the world’s largest distributed battery sure did put on a show!”
Electricity generation from renewable sources will account for 22 percent of power generated in the United States in 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said last Friday. In 2020 and 2021, renewable energy sources, like hydropower, wind and solar, accounted for 20 percent of the electricity generated.
Utilities across the country are asking customers with electric vehicles to sign up for programs and rate plans that incentivize them to shift from charging when power grids are under stress to when there’s plenty of power to go around. As EVs grow from rare to common, these kinds of programs could prevent them from being a threat to grid stability and instead turn them into an asset.
If consumers are willing to purchase and install solar energy on their homes and they are also willing to purchase and install batteries so they can continue using that solar energy at night when the sun goes down, could those same batteries be used by the electric utility as a grid asset? In Utah and Idaho, the answer to that question is yes.
