RMI and FedEx Launch GridUp Tool, Enabling Proactive Grid Investments to Support EV Charging Needs

This week, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) released GridUp, a publicly accessible tool designed to help utilities forecast when and where energy and power demands will materialize from vehicle electrification. According to RMI, the GridUp tool can forecast electric vehicle power needs at the census-block group level, arming decision makers for the first time with the detailed information they need to quickly, effectively, and confidently upgrade the grid to meet the increasing demand for EV charging infrastructure. The GridUp tool is supported by a grant from FedEx.

"One of the most consequential barriers to widespread transportation electrification is the grid's ability to reliably provide the power required for vehicle charging," said Clay Stranger, managing director at RMI. "GridUp addresses this barrier by projecting when and where EVs will need power with granular detail, enabling utilities, cities, and states to make informed planning and investment decisions. This will help provide charging that is equitable, ubiquitous, and available where and when it is needed most."

The transportation sector is already working toward electrification. However, existing US grid infrastructure will be insufficient to support additional electricity demand from future EV charging needs and needed upgrades have long lead times to deploy. This poses a key barrier for fleet operators and charging companies, as well as an emergent challenge for utilities and infrastructure planners: a lack of certainty regarding the specific charging needs EVs will have -- when, where, and how much. These insights can help inform proactive grid investments and help avoid unnecessary expenditures by reducing uncertainty around what to build and where.

RMI notes that GridUp can tell us:

• Which areas will see the largest amounts of EV growth, and what will drive that growth.
  • Areas with a high concentration of medium- and heavy-duty electric truck activity are likely to see some of the largest new demands for electricity.
  • The neighborhood of Cornell in southeast Atlanta, Georgia - where multiple logistics companies have distribution centers or freight depots - may see new loads of up to 7 MW, approximately as much power as the Atlanta Falcon's Mercedes-Benz Stadium during an NFL game
• How much energy will be needed to support charging in a given area.
  • For example, EV charging in Allegheny County, which contains Pittsburgh, will require the equivalent of almost 68,000 single family homes-worth of energy by 2035.
  • For context, Pittsburgh currently has about 160,000 housing units.
• What kinds of charging locations will need to be built in specific areas.
  • For example, GridUp demonstrates that Crown Heights, a relatively dense part of Brooklyn, mostly requires chargers in public locations and at multi-family homes, while Kew Gardens Hills, a less dense neighborhood of Queens, requires chargers at single-family homes and public locations.

RMI has piloted the GridUp tool since 2021, gaining important insights from utilities and regulators on how to provide the best data for proactive investments in the grid. The company notes that GridUp is uniquely detailed and flexible, allowing users to gain greater insight into how driving behavior will create and shape charging demand.

"Fleet electrification requires the cooperation of an entire ecosystem -- utilities are as much a part of it as vehicle manufacturers, fleet owners, and charging infrastructure providers." said Pat Donlon, vice president of Global Vehicles, FedEx. "You can order all the electric vehicles in the world over the next few years, but none of that matters if the grid capacity isn't there to support charging them. That's why supporting a tool like GridUp is so vital to help utilities understand and plan for increased electricity needs from having more personal and commercial EVs on the road."

_{Source:  RMI}

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