WeaveGrid’s Post

Coming out of Distributech last week, one theme was clear: the grid is getting more complex, and EVs are a big part of that story. Utilities like Exelon, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Xcel Energy and Southern Company, who joined WeaveGrid on a panel, are doing incredibly hard work navigating this transition. They’re expanding EV programs, modernizing infrastructure, and balancing competing priorities, all while being held to high standards by regulators, customers, and stakeholders. Throughout the conference, I kept hearing folks at utilities say, "The real strain is happening downstream, on the distribution system." Over the next five years, we’re going to see transformer overloads, feeder stress, and capital projects being pulled forward. Not because of system peaks, but because of uncoordinated EV charging in neighborhoods at non-coincident times. The existing toolkit—time-varying rates, traditional DR programs, and models built primarily for IRPs—isn’t enough. What’s missing is a new layer of bottoms-up planning and optimization, focused on where the grid is actually feeling pressure: transformers and feeders. In our new Utility Dive op-ed, we explore why utilities need distribution-aware orchestration tools like DISCO to: • Identify EV-driven overload risk early • Align charging with local capacity • Buy time for distribution investments This is about giving planners more options, program teams better tools, and regulators a clearer picture of how to scale EV adoption affordably and reliably. 📖 Link in the comments. #EVGridIntegration #DistributionPlanning #ManagedCharging #DISTRIBUTECH #UtilityPlanning #VGI #EVPolicy #DISCO