The US Department of Energy (DoE) has announced $32m for six pilot projects that support load growth through grid-edge innovations and the ability of energy providers to right-size grid investments for future load growth.

These Connected Communities (connectedcommunities.lbl.gov) projects in eight states will also provide strategies and tools for utilities, grid planners and operators, automakers, electric vehicle (EV) smart charge management service providers, and the communities they serve to improve resilience and reduce costs.

“Providing low-cost, resilient and reliable energy to all Americans is a top priority for the DoE,” said Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for the DoE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. “As our nation’s energy system faces unprecedented demand growth, it’s more important than ever to maximise all our energy resources and deliver the most efficient, reliable and affordable electricity possible. These pilot projects will leverage the latest grid-edge options – like energy efficiency, demand-responsive building systems, energy storage, EV smart charging and advanced grid-planning strategies – to equip communities and utilities with the tools and data they need to confidently manage our evolving electric grid.”

The DoE (www.energy.gov) is continuing to evaluate applications for this funding opportunity and intends to award additional projects up to a total of $65m, as originally announced, with additional selections as reviews are completed. 

Connected Communities 2.0 builds on the successes and lessons learned from the first cohort of Connected Communities, launched in 2020, and the DoE’s original smart neighbourhoods in Georgia and Alabama. The first Connected Communities projects (www.energy.gov/articles/doe-invests-61-million-smart-buildings-accelerate-renewable-energy-adoption-and-grid) focused on integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) to support a more variable grid. The 2.0 version aims to address growing challenges to the grid head-on, ensuring necessary upgrades are sized correctly to accommodate increasing loads at vehicle charging locations, data centres, buildings and industrial sites in a way that leverages the flexibility of these new loads. In the process, the DoE is selecting a cohort and collecting data needed to build confidence that the grid is flexible and resilient.

Connected Communities 2.0 centres on two major areas. The first is focused on integrated grid-edge technical measures in buildings, industry and transportation to prepare the electric grid for new loads and improve customer benefits and grid resilience. The second looks at various unique urban, suburban and rural-use cases to build confidence in smart charge management as an effective approach for EVs to provide flexibility and value to the electric grid.

Three projects have been selected in each area. The Connected Communities selectees are:

• Accelerating community-wide connected electric loads and energy reliability through integration with nationwide grid connectivity initiative (Minnesota), led by the Beneficial Electrification League. This will advance a nationally scalable approach for building load management. The project will prioritise partnerships with electric cooperatives in Minnesota that advance communications to optimise residential thermal loads as grid assets. The award amount is $5.3m.
• Purdue University (Indiana) will demonstrate pathways for rural electric membership cooperatives to improve energy efficiency and resilience in the face of new load growth in collaboration with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Pathways include engaging with rural communities, piloting financial programmes, coordinating DERs through systems, and scaling up lessons learned. The award amount is $5.9m.
• Responsive energy communities harnessing grid efficiency initiative (California), led byPacific Gas & Electric, will target residential units, businesses and industry in the city of San Jose and in the Fresno County. It will address the growing electric demand and distribution capacity problems in these communities. The award amount is $6m.

The smart charge management selectees are:

• One Energy Enterprises (Ohio) will pioneer a community charging depot for medium- and heavy-duty truck fleets, which will integrate microgrid technology and DERs to reduce charging investments, while optimising the grid. The site will be located in Findlay, Ohio, with plans for expansion to support a larger number of class six to eight electric trucks. The award amount is $3.2m.
• Baltimore Gas & Electric (Maryland) will use a multi-faceted distributed energy resource management system to unlock grid-aware managed charging functionality. The project will feature technology that reduces residential EV charging peak loads, decreases infrastructure upgrade costs and adjusts charging schedules to alleviate grid congestion. The award amount is $5.9m.
• EV Energy (California, Florida, Alaska, Rhode Island and Hawaii) will demonstrate and validate smart charge management in five diverse utility territories across five states. Smart charge management approaches will include optimisation for renewable energy matching, reduced grid congestion, timer peak smoothing, expanded charging access for multifamily housing, and vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid technologies. The award amount is $6m.

The six projects will demonstrate the capabilities of grid-edge technologies and integrated power systems that are efficient, resilient, flexible and affordable, along with distribution and grid-planning strategies that can be replicated across the USA.