Grid Planning for Electrification Using Highly Granular Analytics: Insights Into the Transportation Distribution Infrastructure

Many countries are enhancing the planning and interconnection process to accelerate the interconnection of solar, wind, and other technologies to the distribution grid. The electrification of transportation, however, is going to have a much larger impact on utility planning and operations, essentially transforming utilities into providers of foundational mobility-related services. The speed of electric vehicle (EV) adoption is increasing and is an order of magnitude faster than the pace at which utilities build new distribution and transmission infrastructure. EV adoption scenarios must be sufficiently accurate, granular, and specific to identify critical grid investment needs. Identifying probable EV adoption and usage patterns and then modeling their impacts on the power grid is a complex process that will be fundamental to decarbonizing the grid.

Automated summary

Many countries are enhancing the planning and interconnection process for renewable energy technologies, but the electrification of transportation is having a larger impact on utility planning and operations. Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is happening at a much faster rate than the buildout of new infrastructure by utilities. Accurate and granular modeling of EV adoption and usage patterns will be crucial for identifying grid investment needs and decarbonizing the grid.