September 1
Duke Energy to Collaborate on EV Charging Subscription Pilot
Top consumer smart energy news hand-selected and brought to you by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
Member News
Together with auto industry giants like General Motors, Ford Motor Company and BMW of North America, Duke Energy will launch a new electric vehicle (EV) pilot program on September 1, 2023 to establish flat fees under a residential charging subscription option. Customers will be able to decide their desired state of charge and preferred departure time using an application provided by their respective automaker.
Electric utility efforts to help customers reduce energy consumption and monthly bills have “stagnated,” the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy said in a report published last Thursday. The group identified a nearly five-percent decline in efficiency program spending from 2018 to 2021. Energy savings dropped 5.4 percent across the same period. Most utilities, regulators and state policymakers “should do a lot more to help reduce energy waste.”
Demand flexibility is more than a peak-shaving strategy but is an existential necessity to meet the evolving needs of a grid challenged equally by consumer adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs), electrification efforts and the effects of climate change. As the energy landscape continues to evolve, embracing demand flexibility can lead to cost savings, enhanced grid stability and a more sustainable energy future.
A new report has found that the U.S. electric vehicle and battery manufacturing markets are continuing to thrive since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) a year ago. The report from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and WSP USA found that the IRA catalyzed investment and job growth in the electric vehicle industry.
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Industry News
The global renewable energy market is growing faster than most analysts had forecast – and it’s being led by solar power and a resurgent onshore wind market, much of it in China. After modest sector growth over the last two years due to pandemic-related supply-chain woes, 2023 is setting the pace for an accelerated phase of renewable energy deployment, based on the stats in the latest Renewable Energy Market Update from the International Energy Agency.
The California Air Resources Board announced last week a new statewide program to help low- and middle-income residents purchase or lease new or used zero-emission or plug-in hybrid vehicles. The new program – an expansion of the existing Clean Cars 4 All program, which was previously available in five districts – will provide rebates up to $12,000 for those scrapping and replacing older, polluting vehicles, or up to $7,500 for those not scrapping a vehicle.
As extreme heat records fall across the West and strain the power grid, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is piloting its virtual power plant (VPP) program to reduce energy demand and put electricity back on the grid during peak hours – all through leveraging the capabilities of customer-owned smart thermostats, rooftop solar, energy storage and other connected resources such as water pumps.
According to the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), solar photovoltaic panel shipments to the country increased to record levels last year, with 10 percent growth over 2021. Shipments reached 31.7 million peak kW in 2022, and that positive energy followed into capacity as well, given that 10.9 GW of new utility-scale solar capacity was added that same year.
