Headlines may say that electric vehicle (EV) sales have taken a significant spill, but electric cooperatives and their members have nothing to worry about. See, it’s in co-ops’ DNA to be strategic and flexible to meet energy demand ups and downs while fulfilling the seven cooperative principles that advocate affordable, reliable and safe electricity.
“Co-ops have internal processes and plans for what really does show up as load versus what’s in the headlines,” says Jennah Denney, NRECA’s senior program manager for technology integration.
She sees no adverse impacts just because EV sales dropped by half between last September and December, according to industry data. What’s more, the benefits of EV ownership remain strong, and co-ops are no small player in that.
Charging stations owned and operated by co-ops have become valuable assets in supporting grid reliability and the communities they serve. Having available and convenient charging stations is considered a real amenity in small towns.
Owners of EVs with a bidirectional capacity battery can tap their vehicle like a generator to deliver backup power to their home in case of a power outage. Then there’s fuel economy and low maintenance of EV motors.
Fully charged EV batteries provide an average of about 300 miles of driving nowadays, which has eased past “range anxiety” for drivers switching from cars and pickups that run on gasoline. That means longer drives with fewer fueling stops and no worries about the escalating price at the pump.
“Many people don’t realize until they’re an EV driver how nice it is to not go into a gas station,” says Denney.
A lot of EV models carry higher upfront costs, but the lower-priced, pre-owned vehicle market is growing, and more of these vehicles can be found in co-op service territories. For co-ops with EVs on their lines, or if you’re a member who owns an EV, it’s a great time to contribute to an affordable and reliable grid.
“You have so many ways to benefit from an electric vehicle that you may not have had before,” says Denney. “The benefits to owning an EV, that’s one thing that hasn’t changed despite all of the sales hype.”
Many co-ops across the country with EV load are partnering with local government and business and community leaders to install chargers in prominent places in their electric footprint, such as county buildings, community centers, large restaurants, shopping areas, museums and the like.
“EV drivers want confidence about where they will be able to charge, and some co-ops realize that these communities would be left behind if they didn’t install EV chargers,” says Denney. “Our mission as co-ops is concern for community and improving the communities we serve. So, if there’s somewhere that brings families together, that’s also an opportunity to provide EV chargers.”
Plus, electric transportation is projected to make up the second largest tranche of electrification between now and 2050, according to the Electric Power Research Institute. While we don’t have a crystal ball, Denney notes co-ops’ success comes from being stalwart and loyal to their members, their communities and their load — and that includes EVs.
“Electric co-ops are showing up to serve growing needs in our territories, and that means using scenario process improvements to plan for what comes next,” says Denney. “We’ve seen a lot of fluctuations, and that will be a story that continues to evolve.”
Photo courtesy of Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association
