Better Grid Data Can Speed Up EV Charger Deployment
This article was originally published in Public Utilities Fortnightly.
The future of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure depends not just on where drivers need power, but on what the grid can actually support — and that understanding begins with grid data.
Grid data is often seen as complex and accessible only to industry experts. Yet it plays a critical role in key decisions, from EV charger siting to planning and budgeting for utility upgrades. If grid data is essential to deploying the infrastructure needed to power our nation’s growing EV adoption, the question becomes: how do we make this information clear, accessible, and actionable for everyone — from small developers and public agencies to large-scale EV charging providers?
Hosting capacity analysis (HCA) maps serve as a practical tool for bridging this gap. They offer transparent, detailed insights into where the electric grid can support new load — such as EV charging infrastructure — and where costly utility upgrades may be unavoidable. As a result, HCAs are emerging as a critical tool for EV charger deployment.
Yet there is a challenge: HCA maps are not always publicly available nor consistently designed using best practices. With thoughtful regulatory action, however, HCAs can become more accessible, reliable, and user-friendly. In doing so, they can help accelerate EV charger deployment — equipping stakeholders with the information they need to make more informed decisions and more easily navigate utility requirements with greater confidence.
What Is a Hosting Capacity Analysis?
A hosting capacity analysis (HCA) is a data analysis tool developed by utilities that provides information on how much new load and/or generation the grid can currently accommodate at different locations. Load-focused HCAs are particularly relevant for EV charger — or EVSE — deployment, as they evaluate the grid’s ability to serve new electrical demand under existing operating conditions.
Functioning like a GPS for the power system highway, HCAs display basic utility information — such as substation information, circuit voltage, amount of connected generation, and location of distribution lines — in the form of a map or tabular data files.
There are two types of HCAs:
Generation HCAs, which estimate where distributed energy resources (DERs) like solar can interconnect without triggering upgrades, have been in use since 2015.
Load HCAs apply the same analytical concept to new large load additions, such as EV charging stations, and are a more recent extension.
While the applications of generation and load HCAs differ, both use similar grid models to assess capacity.
Read the full article at Fortnightly.com.
