Co-ops Are Preparing for EVs

SIMONSKAFAR | ISTOCK.COM

With almost every major automaker announcing plans for electric vehicles paired with the federal government’s push to have the nation lead the way in EV technology, Bandera Electric Cooperative must be prepared.
In a recent Rural Electric Magazine article, co-op leaders from around the country discussed the effect that EVs will have on their co-op systems over the next 10 years. The points that electric cooperative managers make are interesting and relevant to BEC.

In neighboring Oklahoma, the manager of a large electric cooperative says that change is the name of the game. An influx of EVs will change electricity demand and force changes to charging technologies, rate structures, distribution infrastructure and more.

It’s predicted that by 2025, 10% of new vehicles sold will be fully electric. In the public domain, school buses, city vehicles and public transportation will likely be converted to electric because government subsidies target those vehicles.

EV demand adds up. The fast chargers that will make “refueling” convenient use a lot of electricity. And adding three electric school buses is the equivalent of adding a small subdivision to our electrical system load.
Depending on their locations, electric cooperatives will see varying demand on their systems as these vehicles gain popularity or as EV drivers hit the road to see America’s beauty.

In Utah, for example, one electric cooperative has estimated the amount of EV traffic that will power through its service territory as tourists drive to attractions such as Zion National Park and Lake Powell. The manager of the electric co-op there calls the expected impact alarming, saying the needs will have a “gigantic impact on our system, both in terms of potential revenue and in infrastructure costs to support the increase.”

Dependable baseload power and transmission systems are critical to meet this coming demand, and ensuring the availability of both could be expensive for some co-ops.

An electric co-op manager in Indiana says he is looking forward to the emergence of EVs. He sees the new technology as a positive development for rural areas because of the introduction of electric school buses and tractors and positive for co-ops because they can continue their legacy of leading the way in energy delivery. But it will take initiative and planning, he says.

Ways that some co-ops are considering managing the changes include educating agricultural and business members so they can make informed EV purchases, providing rate options and time-of-use rates, and offering advice on charging and chargers.

Planning also requires working closely with our generation and transmission cooperatives and other power generation sources to develop programs that will give EVs a green light, according to an electric co-op manager in Illinois. “Yes, there may be required system upgrades,” he says, “but the benefits of growth far outweigh any system impact concerns.”

Posted: 11/1/2021 12:00:54 PM

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