Plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles will be hitting the market in rapidly growing numbers over the next months and years. These vehicles offer many benefits, but if they’re charged during peak load hours, they could be nothing but a headache for electric utilities. So it’s essential that utilities begin to plan now to put the proper incentives and infrastructure in place so that consumers will be motivated to charge their vehicles when it least impacts the grid.

Another critical issue for these large, mobile loads is consumers’ need to plug in just about anywhere on the grid and to have the energy billed to the proper account with minimal transaction costs or hassle to the driver.

Several companies are pioneering the way forward on the technical side, and during this web conference you’ll hear from two of the top technology developers as they describe their systems and share their track records. You’ll also hear about the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Project Get Ready initiative, which is working with a growing number of cities, universities, utilities, and other stakeholders to develop a policy environment conducive to the success of these vehicles.

Whether you’re already thinking about creating an electric drive vehicle program or just interested in learning about this evolving technology, this web conference is for you.

Speakers:

Matt Mattila, Consultant, Rocky Mountain Institute
Richard Lowenthal, Founder and CEO, Coulomb Technologies
John Clark, Marketing, GridPoint

You will learn:

• Why electric utilities need to pay attention to this emerging new load
• What Project Get Ready is and how it might be helpful in your service area
• Which companies are pioneering communication and charge-control systems for electric drive vehicles
• Approaches to setting consumer incentives
• How a fleet of electric drive vehicles could provide grid-support services
• The difference between vehicle-to-grid and smart charging
• What infrastructure and billing systems are being developed for public charging stations

Who should attend:

Members of the E Source Technology Assessment Service involved in technology assessment, demand-side management program planning and implementation, and regulatory affairs; and members of the E Source Corporate Energy Managers’ Consortium who are energy managers for organizations with significant vehicle fleets