September 22
SMUD, Optiwatt Expand Incentivized EV Charging Program
Top consumer smart energy news hand-selected and brought to you by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
Member News
SMUD and Optiwatt recently announced a partnership to expand SMUD’s existing electric vehicle charging pilot to include Tesla drivers and help meet increased energy demand as more Californians adopt EVs. Together, Optiwatt and SMUD are inviting Tesla owners across the Sacramento region to participate in the SMUD Managed EV Charging program, a test program which monitors, automates and manages customers’ EV charging needs in balance with grid demands.
Transportation electrification took center stage during a breakout session at the 2023 CLEAResult Energy Forum this summer. Robin McAlester from Liberty Utilities joined CLEAResult Senior Practice Consultants James Russell and Peter Yeh to address the barriers utility customers face when entering electric vehicle (EV) programs. The panel discussed ways utilities could enhance participation, from improving charging station accessibility to considering the pricing of EVs.
Sixty percent of Americans say they would be willing to participate in a program where they voluntarily adjust their cooling system in the summer months (by a few degrees and for no more than a few hours), according to a new survey from the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC), a nonprofit organization that studies Americans’ energy-related behaviors, interests and values.
The number of suppliers to have graduated from ComEd’s Energy Efficiency Service Provider (EESP) Incubator Program surged last week, with the addition of 27 suppliers freshly ready to provide energy-efficiency improvements in Illinois. The program provides education and training related to ComEd’s energy efficiency portfolio offerings, one-on-one assistance with certification applications, business growth plans and an opportunity to network with project financing leaders.
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Industry News
Florida has long ranked a distant third place behind California and Texas in installed solar, but it’s now installing more solar panels than any other state – despite a policy landscape that’s considerably more challenging than in other states. The Sunshine State connected 2,499 MW of solar-generation capacity to the grid during the first half of 2023, blowing away the 1,648 MW added by California and the 1,292 MW added by Texas.
Planning for, serving and managing new electrical demand stemming from the adoption of EVs is the focus of the future for Portland General Electric (PGE), as it works to implement the programs in its 2023 Transportation Electrification Plan. The utility noted that customers will need to be supported on their transportation electrification journey, and that equitability will be a critical need. In order to achieve this, the company announced a slew of programs, grants and incentives to help.
BMW, Ford and Honda announced that they have entered into an agreement to create ChargeScape, LLC, a new equally owned company that will create a single platform connecting electric utilities, automakers and interested electric vehicle customers. Intended to benefit both EV customers and the electric utility industry in the U.S. and Canada, ChargeScape is meant to unlock new value that EVs can provide to the electric grid, while enabling EV customers to earn financial benefits.
Gloria Huerta remembers the day she spent hours hopping between Chevy Bolts, messing with SIM cards and software while following instructions sent by a German tech firm. She was trying to fix a glitch that kept members of Miocar, the car-share program she helps lead, from unlocking the cars before the service’s formal launch. Troubles like these would make it difficult for her organization to fulfill its mission of providing equitable access to electric vehicles in rural California.
