Gridtractor, Monarch Tractor, and the Valley
Clean Energy Alliance will deploy EV charging technology to respond
to dynamic grid signals
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 19,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Energy Commission
(CEC) approved $2.5 Million for the
first phase of a two-phase, $27
Million "Responsive, Easy Charging Products with Dynamic
Signals" (REDWDS) grant for the "Rural Electrification And Charging
Technology" (REACT) project to deploy charging technology on farms
and at other rural locations that is responsive to dynamic grid
signals.
Incentives from the grant will help customers to transition
their on-farm fleets to the Monarch MK-V, the world's first fully
electric, driver-optional, smart tractor, and other electric
vehicles–together, Electric Farm Vehicles (EFV)--by reducing the
cost to deploy charging infrastructure while responding to dynamic
prices and participating in demand response programs will increase
customers' financial returns on investing in electrification. The
grant also helps to fund Gridtractor and Monarch software systems
and customer success teams that will help customers to manage
charging in response to grid signals while prioritizing the work
that their tractors and vehicles need to do.
Vehicle-to Everything, EVSE and charge management technology
developed by consortium partners under 'On Farm Mobile Microgrids,'
a second CEC-funded project, will enable customers to not only
charge at the most beneficial times but export power to the grid or
local loads when energy is scarce or expensive, greatly expanding
their financial opportunities and the value provided to the grid
and the state.
The consortium will not only help customers respond to the
existing slate of rates and programs, but will also work to
increase and improve them. Valley Clean Energy, whose successful
AgFIT pilot led regulators to initiate a large, statewide expansion
of dynamic rates, will engage with Community Choice Aggregators
(CCAs) to help them develop win-win programs for their members and
participating customers.
"California farmers are already
seeing significant savings from early deployments of our electric,
smart MK-V tractors. In the last two years, Monarch Tractor has
deployed more than 400 MK-Vs, resulting in the offset of more than
850 tonnes of CO2 emissions across 42,000 hours of tractor
operations," says Praveen Penmetsa,
CEO and co-founder of Monarch Tractor. "But, larger-scale
deployments require more charging infrastructure and this grant
will help us to significantly improve customers' economics of
adoption."
"REACT is a great example of how CCAs can deliver value to their
customers by addressing local opportunities and challenges. We
have seen how targeted programs like AgFIT can be successful
with the right mix of technology, financial incentives and customer
engagement and we are excited to bring the significant value of
this grant to VCE's customers and to help other CCAs to do the
same," said Mitch Sears, Executive
Director of the Valley Clean Energy Alliance.
"As power demand increases with the transition to EFV, REACT
will help to ensure that new and existing load is responsive
to grid conditions and a net contributor to California's reliability, decarbonization and
affordability goals," said David
Meyers, Founder/CEO of Gridtractor. "We look forward to
working with our partners, CEC, CPUC, PG&E, SCE, CCAs and, of
course, customers to achieve our shared goals."
About Gridtractor
Based in California, Gridtractor the developer of a
cloud-based charge management system that enables users to manage
charging and export power to the grid in response to their
operational needs, grid signals, and local conditions while
managing other site loads. The platform optimizes vehicle charging
for farms and other rural customers while maximizing the use of
existing on-site electrical services and generation. For more
information, visit http://www.gridtractor.com and follow on Twitter
and LinkedIn.
About Monarch Tractor
Monarch Tractor's MK-V is the
world's first fully electric, driver-optional, smart tractor
that combines electrification, automation, machine learning,
and data analysis to enhance farmer's existing operations, cut
overhead costs, reduce emissions and increase labor productivity
and safety. Monarch Tractor is committed to elevating farming
practices to enable clean, efficient, and economically viable
solutions for today's farmers and the generations of farmers to
come. Operating in more than five continents, Monarch Tractor
serves vineyards, orchards, blueberries, dairy, and land management
sectors. With cutting-edge technology and a global presence,
Monarch is delivering meaningful change for the future of farming.
For more information, visit www.monarchtractor.com.
About Valley Clean Energy
Valley Clean Energy — or VCE
— is the public electricity provider for residential
and commercial customers in Woodland, Winters, Davis, and unincorporated Yolo County. We're a not-for-profit public
agency, which means that we're working 100% for our customers. VCE
keeps program control and revenues right here at home, where we can
create jobs and build local clean energy projects. We reinvest
dollars to boost our local economy while taking control of our
clean energy future. More information is available at
https://valleycleanenergy.org/.
Media Contact
Alegria
Beveridge
media@gridtractor.com
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SOURCE Monarch Tractor