DOE Allocates $32M to Enhance Grid-Edge Tech and Smart Charge Systems

January 17, 2025

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has recently announced a significant initiative aimed at bolstering grid-edge technologies and smart charge management. With an allocation of $32 million, the DOE seeks to address the increasing electric loads on the grid, ensuring resilience and minimizing costs. This groundbreaking initiative encompasses six pilot projects across eight states, which are strategically focused on developing innovative strategies and tools to support utilities, grid planners, operators, automakers, and communities. These projects will play a critical role in transforming the way electricity is managed and distributed, ultimately enhancing the nation’s energy infrastructure to accommodate future demands.

Addressing Growing Electric Loads

The primary goal of this initiative is to manage the rising demand for electricity through energy-efficiency innovations and advanced grid-planning strategies. Jeff Marootian, the principal deputy assistant secretary for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, emphasized the importance of deploying solutions that optimize energy resources. Such an approach aims to deliver dependable and affordable electricity amid unprecedented demand growth, ensuring that the U.S. energy grid remains robust and flexible. Marootian’s vision underlines the pressing need for a more responsive and adaptable energy system capable of meeting the dynamic requirements of modern society.

The DOE’s investment is specifically targeted towards improving the necessary infrastructure for integrating and managing new electric loads from various sources such as electric vehicles (EVs), data centers, buildings, and industrial sites. The initiative will leverage cutting-edge technologies including energy efficiency, demand-responsive building systems, energy storage, and advanced grid-planning methods. By embracing these state-of-the-art technologies, the DOE aims to create a resilient, flexible, and efficient energy grid, capable of accommodating the ever-growing demands of electricity without compromising reliability or escalating costs. This strategic investment highlights the government’s commitment to driving technological advancements and fostering sustainable energy solutions for the future.

Expanding Investment and Learning from Past Projects

Upon the announcement of the funding, the DOE mentioned its intention to increase the allocated amount to a total of $65 million, contingent on ongoing evaluations of applications and subsequent project selections. This ambitious decision is rooted in the successful outcomes and valuable lessons gleaned from earlier Connected Communities projects that were initiated in 2020, as well as previous smart neighborhood pilots conducted in Georgia and Alabama. These earlier projects primarily focused on integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) to support a more variable and adaptive grid, setting the stage for more advanced and comprehensive solutions.

The new initiative, Connected Communities 2.0, aims to directly address the emerging challenges posed by the escalating demand for electricity. This includes ensuring that upgrades are appropriately sized to accommodate increasing electricity load demands at diverse venues while simultaneously enhancing grid flexibility and resilience. By building on the successes and insights from previous endeavors, Connected Communities 2.0 strives to pioneer innovative solutions that can be replicated nationwide. The scaling of these projects will enable broader implementation of effective strategies and technologies, fostering a more robust and future-proof energy grid across the country.

Connected Communities: Integrating Grid-Edge Technologies

Connected Communities 2.0 is structured into two main areas, one of which is Connected Communities. This category is dedicated to integrating grid-edge technical measures in buildings, industry, and transportation. These projects aim to prepare the grid for new loads while simultaneously enhancing customer benefits and grid resilience. Through advanced integration and optimization strategies, these initiatives seek to pave the way for a more adaptable and efficient grid, capable of serving the diverse and evolving energy needs of communities nationwide.

One of the key projects under this category is the Accelerating Connectivity Initiative in Minnesota, led by the Beneficial Electrification League. This project aims to establish a scalable approach for managing building loads by partnering with electric cooperatives. The initiative will focus on optimizing residential thermal loads to serve as valuable grid assets, ultimately enhancing the efficiency and resilience of the energy system. The awarded amount for this ambitious project is $5.3 million, underscoring the significant investment in developing scalable, impactful solutions.

Another notable project is spearheaded by Purdue University in Indiana. This endeavor seeks to bolster energy efficiency and resilience among rural electric membership cooperatives while addressing new load growth. Collaborating with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the project will engage rural communities, pilot innovative financial programs, coordinate DERs through advanced systems, and scale up the lessons learned. The award for this comprehensive effort is $5.9 million, highlighting the commitment to supporting rural communities and fostering sustainable energy innovations.

Smart Charge Management: Enhancing EV Integration

The second main area under Connected Communities 2.0 is Smart Charge Management. This category focuses on different urban, suburban, and rural use cases related to electric vehicle (EV) integration. The primary objective is to build and demonstrate the effectiveness of smart charge management for EVs, showcasing their potential to provide flexibility and value to the electric grid. By optimizing EV charging processes and technologies, these projects aim to reduce peak loads, minimize infrastructure upgrade costs, and enhance overall grid efficiency and resilience.

One of the significant projects under this category is being led by One Energy Enterprises in Ohio. This initiative entails pioneering a community charging depot for medium- and heavy-duty truck fleets in Findlay, Ohio. The project intends to integrate advanced microgrid technology and DERs to minimize charging investments and optimize the grid, with plans for eventual expansion. The awarded amount for this forward-thinking project is $3.2 million, reflecting the substantial investment in groundbreaking electric vehicle charging solutions.

Another impactful initiative is being undertaken by Baltimore Gas & Electric Company in Maryland. This project will employ a distributed energy resource management system to unlock grid-aware managed charging functionalities. The use of these advanced technologies will reduce peak loads from residential EV charging, decrease infrastructure upgrade costs, and adjust charging schedules to ease grid congestion. With an awarded amount of $5.9 million, this project exemplifies the potential of smart charge management solutions to enhance grid efficiency and resilience.

The EV.Energy project spans multiple states, including California, Florida, Alaska, Rhode Island, and Hawaii. This broad-ranging initiative aims to demonstrate and validate smart charge management solutions across five diverse utility territories. The project will optimize renewable energy matching, reduce grid congestion, smooth timer peaks, expand charging access for multifamily housing, and incorporate both vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid technologies. The significant awarded amount of $6 million underscores the project’s ambition and the wide-reaching impact it aims to achieve.

Collaborative Efforts and Future-Proofing the Grid

The U.S. Department of Energy has launched a major initiative to enhance grid-edge technologies and smart charge management systems. This effort involves an investment of $32 million, aimed at addressing the rising electric demands on the power grid, ensuring its resiliency, and reducing costs. This landmark initiative includes six pilot projects spread across eight states. These projects focus on creating innovative strategies and tools to aid utilities, grid planners, operators, automakers, and communities. By adopting these advanced technologies, the projects will significantly transform the management and distribution of electricity. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to bolster the nation’s energy infrastructure, preparing it to handle future demands more efficiently and sustainably. Through these efforts, the DOE aims to ensure a more robust and reliable grid that can accommodate the evolving landscape of energy consumption, benefiting both consumers and industry stakeholders alike.

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