Summary
- Six pilot projects receiving $32 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to manage electric loads on the grid
- Focus on grid-edge innovations, right-sizing grid investments, and improving resilience and reducing costs
- Projects aim to integrate DERs, EV smart charging, energy storage, and advanced grid-planning strategies
- Connected Communities 2.0 builds on previous successes and lessons learned
- Selected projects will demonstrate capabilities of efficient, resilient, flexible, and affordable power systems
Article
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $32 million for six pilot projects aimed at managing growing electric loads on the grid through innovative solutions. These Connected Communities projects will provide tools and strategies for utilities, grid planners, automakers, and communities to improve resilience and reduce costs. The goal is to maximize all energy resources and deliver efficient, reliable, and affordable electricity in the face of unprecedented demand growth.
The Connected Communities 2.0 projects build on previous successes and aim to right-size grid investments for future load growth. These projects focus on integrating grid-edge technical measures in buildings, industry, and transportation to prepare the grid for new loads and enhance customer benefits. The Smart Charge Management component focuses on urban, suburban, and rural electric vehicle charging cases to show the effectiveness of smart charge management in providing flexibility and value to the electric grid. Selected projects are designed to collect data to ensure the grid is flexible and resilient.
The six selected projects will demonstrate the capabilities of grid-edge technologies and integrated power systems that are efficient, resilient, flexible, and affordable. These projects will showcase distribution and grid-planning strategies that can be replicated across the United States. The initiative aims to equip communities and utilities with the necessary tools and data to confidently manage the evolving electric grid in the face of increasing loads from vehicle charging locations, data centers, buildings, and industrial sites.
Some of the selected Connected Communities projects include initiatives like ACCELERATING Connectivity in Minnesota, which aims to optimize residential thermal loads as grid assets, and RECHARGE in California, targeting residential units, businesses, and industry in San Jose and Fresno County to address electric demand growth challenges. Smart Charge Management projects include endeavors like one by Baltimore Gas & Electric Company in Maryland, focusing on reducing residential EV charging peak loads, and EV.Energy in multiple states to demonstrate smart charge management solutions in diverse utility territories.
The DOE’s collaboration with various offices and industry partners emphasizes the importance of integration in Connected Communities. The funding announcement for Connected Communities 2.0 is led by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to support integrated energy system planning. The selected projects will showcase the latest grid-edge solutions such as energy efficiency, energy storage, EV smart charging, and advanced grid-planning strategies, ultimately aiming to make the electric grid flexible, resilient, and prepared for future load growth.
Overall, the Connected Communities initiative aims to provide low-cost, reliable, and resilient energy to all Americans by deploying innovative solutions that maximize energy resources and ensure efficient electricity delivery. These pilot projects will leverage grid-edge solutions to equip communities, utilities, and stakeholders with the tools and data needed to manage the evolving electric grid in a way that is flexible, affordable, and sustainable. With additional projects still under evaluation, the goal is to continue advancing grid-edge innovations and right-sizing grid investments to meet the challenges of growing electric loads.
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