Great River Energy team recognized for application of novel EV roadmap tool
A team of Great River Energy employees was recently recognized by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for the application of an interactive, online tool for understanding where, when and how much electric vehicle (EV) charging load is likely to materialize on the U.S. grid.
Great River Energy is one of 500 utilities, vehicle manufacturers, charging providers and other organizations collaborating on a three-year initiative known as EVs2Scale, which is designed to address challenges faced by these groups as they prepare to support EV goals that have targeted up to 50% market share by 2030.
Part of the EVs2Scale initiative is the “eRoadMap” planning tool, which highlights both immediate and future EV charging needs by allowing users to explore how quickly EVs are expected to be on the road in different regions and identifying the energy needs at approximately the level where critical utility planning occurs.
Great River Energy employees Jeff Haase, director of member services; Rodney De Fouw, member electrification strategist; and John Williams, III, senior forecaster, were selected to receive a 2024 EPRI Technology Transfer Award for their application of the EVs2Scale eRoadMAP for EV planning.
Great River Energy was one of the first utilities to request the EVs2Scale eRoadMap dataset for the purpose of developing an internal geographic information system (GIS) tool. Once the team received a data shape file of Minnesota, it worked with Jeff Grussing, manager of GIS development and technology at the cooperative, to develop a plan on how to best incorporate the data into the cooperative’s system.
This data is ultimately providing valuable insights for Great River Energy’s system engineers, planners, key accounts and energy services employees across its membership.
The data and eRoadMap tool will assist several challenges in planning for EV adoption, including:
- Identifying areas and businesses with high EV growth potential
- Predicting impacts of EV load growth for forecasting and planning purposes
- Aiding in equipment sizing and procurement decisions
- Improving understanding of the timeline and impacts EVs will have on cooperatives
“By using the eRoadMap tool, we have been able to take a new set of data to integrate into our planning process,” Haase said. “Unlike planning for building load, EVs can be added at a site in a much shorter timeframe, often leaving utilities little time for necessary electrical upgrades.”
Great River Energy intends to continue growing the tool’s functionality for the benefit of its membership as the tool’s dataset expands and is integrated into the cooperative’s GIS.
“Incorporating this set of data into our planning practices will allow Great River Energy and our member-owners to identify and plan for large transportation loads earlier than we would have otherwise.”
— Jeff Haase, director of member services at Great River Energy
The EPRI Technology Transfer Awards recognize the leaders and innovators who have shown exceptional application of EPRI research and technology in solving a program of size and significance, championing a technology both within their companies and across the industry, driving progress in the electricity sector, and providing meaningful benefits.
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