The Electric Fleet Power Play: Future Proofing and Building the Business Case

Source: Leslie Ponder, Paul Stith, Alex Bettencourt · T&D WORLD · | January 5, 2022

In this second installment of a two-part series focusing on the electric fleet power play, Black & Veatch electrification experts address the scope of opportunities and challenges that a migration to an electrified future hold.

Source: T&D World

Climate change policy, decarbonization and sustainability goals are driving the global push towards electrification, backed by rapid advancements in technology. This push also provides opportunities for companies to meet their objective of greater control over energy investments and cost certainty.

The rise in fleet electrification begs a few questions: Will the power supply be ready when the vehicles are? What will it cost utilities to expand service? What happens if the power goes out? With experts predicting hundreds of millions of electric vehicles (EVs) on the roadways within the next 10 to 20 years, the infrastructure needs to support this conversion are massive, and access to electricity could grow more competitive. 

Utilities and energy companies alike have an opportunity to help drive zero-emission vehicle adoption and start preparing now for an electric future. Advance planning for everything from site selection considerations to power requirements as well as future scalability and resiliency will lead to cost-efficient, sustainable programs. 

Future-Proofing

Advance planning and collaboration with utilities and energy companies will be critical in enabling cost-efficient, sustainable EV charging infrastructure programs. Questions abound around “future-proofing,” elevating the importance of discussions involving the anticipation of future needs and challenges while developing approaches that help minimize the impact of tomorrow’s stresses.