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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released its Strategy for Achieving a Beneficial Vehicle Grid Integration (VGI) Future, building on the vision described in The Future of Vehicle Grid Integration: Harnessing the Flexibility of EV Charging. The Strategy document identifies DOE activities that support utilities, electric vehicle (EV) automakers, regulators, charging providers, aggregators, and other stakeholders as they implement VGI solutions. Through three mutually supporting strategies, DOE aims to increase stakeholder certainty in VGI technologies to catalyze investment in and widespread adoption of VGI approaches. The strategies include:
- Validating repeatable, extensible VGI solutions
- Supporting VGI institutional decision-making
- Spurring VGI innovation
The document describes the portfolio of VGI tools and the value they offer, emphasizing areas where stakeholders, with DOE’s support, can focus their attention and effort. The document also highlights ways for stakeholders to get involved in sharing perspectives and developing solutions. Through the strategies outlined, DOE is committed to partnering with stakeholders as the electricity and transportation sectors navigate the transition to EVs through the development of actionable solutions that meet the market’s needs and enhance affordability for all.
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Other VGI News
Through the VGI Assessment Study, DOE details a 10-year roadmap for DOE’s vehicle grid integration (VGI) work. Within this workplan, DOE will conduct research on specific aspects of VGI covering impacts on EVs and the grid, grid services, codes and standards, and cybersecurity for this report. This roadmap was developed as the result of work performed and conducted across the DOE complex, consultations with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), review of reports and studies by non-DOE researchers and VGI stakeholders, and input received directly from stakeholders. Download the report.
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States Can Register Now for Free Training on Distribution Planning, DERs, and Electrification
Distributed energy resources (DERs), including EVs and electrification, are causing big changes in distribution system planning and operations. If you work for a state energy office, public utility commission, or utility consumer office, you can attend a free training session on these topics hosted by the National Association of State Energy Officials, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, with support from DOE. Learn more and register here to join a training in Detroit (Mar. 11–12, 2025) or Salt Lake City (Apr. 23–24, 2025).
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Get Support for Your VGI Projects: Apply to Host an Energy Innovator Fellow!
The Energy Innovator Fellowship is a workforce development program that matches qualified recent graduates and professionals with critical energy organizations to help them advance solutions that will help modernize the power system, improve energy infrastructure for transportation and industry, and make the U.S. power system more reliable, affordable, and resilient. Eligible hosts include public utility commissions, electric co-ops, state energy offices, grid operators, municipal utilities, and federally recognized Indian Tribes, Intertribal organizations, and Tribal utilities. Host Institution applications are due Jan. 31. To apply, visit the Energy Innovator Fellowship program page.
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Save the Date for the Sixth EVs@Scale Semiannual Stakeholder Meeting
Hosted by Sandia National Laboratories, the sixth EVs@Scale Semiannual Stakeholder Meeting will take place Apr. 1–2, 2025. DOE’s EVs@Scale Lab Consortium brings together national laboratories and key stakeholders to conduct infrastructure R&D and address challenges and barriers for high-power EV charging infrastructure that enable greater safety, grid operation reliability, and consumer confidence. Check the website for updates and contact the group to join the mailing list.
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New Recommendations from the Electric Vehicle Working Group
The Electric Vehicle Working Group released a follow-up to its April 2024 report with “Recommendations of the Electric Vehicle Working Group – 2024.” The new report provides recommendations to address the top challenges in the light-, -medium, and heavy-duty EV market, including two recommendations specific to grid integration: Recommendation 6: Support Infrastructure Investments and Recommendation 7: Managed Charging.
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New Resource Outlines Solutions to Accelerate EV Charging Energization
Idaho National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have published a new white paper with solutions to accelerate timelines for EV charging load service requests across the country. From automating tools to using power control systems, the approaches proposed in the paper can help accelerate progress on EV charging infrastructure buildout for NEVI, CFI, and other EV charging programs. Download the white paper here.
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New Universal Plug & Charge Makes Electric Fueling Seamless
Secure communication between cars and chargers is important and makes it possible to simply plug in and charge—and eventually power homes. A new security framework from SAE Industry Technologies Consortia called the Electric Vehicle Public Key Infrastructure, with input from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), creates a common, secure platform to let vehicles, chargers, and charging networks communicate clearly. This communication unlocks true interoperability across the entire charging ecosystem for the first time—and that simpler, more automated charging experience. Read more.
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Charging Smart Expands to All 50 states
Charging Smart, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded technical assistance and designation program, is now available in all fifty U.S. states. Charging Smart offers free technical assistance to help local governments support adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and charging infrastructure. Charging Smart is led by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), with Great Plains Institute (GPI) serving as lead partner on the project. Other partners include RMI, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Forth, the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), EVNoire, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC), North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC), and eight Clean Cities and Communities (CC&C) coalitions across the country.
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New Dataset: County-level Home EV Access Shares
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released a dataset of county-specific modeled home EV charging access shares used in the 2030 National Charging Network study. Based on survey responses and modeling from the 2021 “There's No Place Like Home” study, this dataset has been a key resource in NREL's EV infrastructure modeling efforts. The dataset, accessible here, is intended to support regional EV planning and analysis.
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Funding Selections for Innovative Queue Management Solutions Track 2 Projects and Education
DOE recently announced phase one selections for the Innovative Queue Management Solutions (iQMS) program, awarding $2.1 million to support ten pilot projects that aim to optimize and accelerate the processing of generator interconnection requests and/or electric vehicle supply equipment load service requests. Best practices and lessons learned from these pilots will be shared through the DOE’s Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) via webinars, blog posts, and in-person events. Read more.
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Funding Selections for SuperTruck Charge to support Innovative Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions
DOE announced a $68 million investment to design, develop, and demonstrate innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging sites near key ports, distribution hubs, and major corridors through DOE’s SuperTruck Charge initiative. The program aims to accelerate deployment of large-scale public EV charging infrastructure for medium-and heavy-duty (MHD) EVs for improved grid resiliency and reliability. Read more.
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Funding Selections for Connected Communities 2.0
DOE announced $32 million for six selected pilot projects that will support new load growth through grid-edge innovations and the ability of energy providers to right-size grid investments for future load growth. These Connected Communities projects in eight states will also provide new strategies and tools for utilities, grid planners and operators, automakers, electric vehicle smart charge management service providers, and the communities they serve to improve resilience and reduce costs. Read more.
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Funding Selections for Communities Taking Charge
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation announced an investment of $43.7 million to enable more charging access in the public right-of-way, expand e-mobility fleet options, and deliver new ways to scale affordable energy use in transportation through its Communities Taking Charge Accelerator program. This funding includes projects to mature the implementation of managed charging systems. Read more.
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EVGrid Assist: Accelerating the Transition is a cross-DOE coordination and technical assistance initiative focused on the interface between vehicle charging and the electric grid that considers the full spectrum of the R&D, deploy, use, learn cycle. The initiative includes a broad spectrum of activities that will increase stakeholder knowledge, drive actions to resolve challenges and barriers related to vehicle-grid-integration (VGI) and provide pathways for stronger VGI coordination. Visit www.energy.gov/evgridassist to learn more. |
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