CALGARY,
AB, Jan. 16, 2023 /CNW/ - In 2023,
FortisAlberta is preparing for an increased demand of Electric
Vehicles (EVs) on the road by asking an important question – how
will an upswing in EVs impact the province's electricity
distribution grid? To help answer this question, FortisAlberta is
inviting EV owners across Alberta
to participate in its Electric Vehicle Smart Charging Pilot. The
program monitors EV owners' charging habits – data that is
essential to understanding and managing increased electricity
demands. The pilot project is the first of its kind in rural
Alberta, as approved by the
Alberta Utilities Commission.
In support of the federal government's target that all new
light-duty cars and passenger trucks be one-hundred per cent zero
emission by 2035 – with mandatory interim targets in 2026 and
2030 – we expect to see an increasing number of Albertans
driving EVs. The latest numbers indicated there are approximately
5,600 EVs registered in Alberta.
As the electricity distributor to more than 240 Alberta
communities, this pilot affirms FortisAlberta's commitment to a
resilient grid and to long-term, prudent investment into
Alberta's distribution
infrastructure.
Participants of the pilot will receive incentives to take part.
Charging data will be implemented and analyzed over the course of
2023 to understand the impacts of charging on system demand,
including how managed charging can limit cost and optimize the
grid.
"The data gathered will help us understand vehicle charging
requirements of our customers," says Curtis
Eck, Vice President of Engineering. "It will also
demonstrate the opportunity for active managed charging to mitigate
grid impacts, reduce carbon impacts, and save customers money;
costs that directly impact the transmission and distribution fees
on Albertan's utility bills".
FortisAlberta, in collaboration with EV smart charging app
developer, Optiwatt, is looking for up to 600 customers who drive
an EV and live within FortisAlberta's service area to participate
in the study. Participants can enrol by downloading the free
Optiwatt app from the Google Play and Apple App stores.
Visit https://www.fortisalberta.com/evpilotproject to learn
more.
About FortisAlberta
As owner and operator of more than 60 per cent of
Alberta's total electricity
distribution network, FortisAlberta's focus is delivering safe and
reliable electricity to more than half a million residential, farm
and business customers. The Company serves more than 240
communities with 127,000 kilometres of distribution power lines
across Alberta.
SOURCE FORTISALBERTA INC