Abstracts:The electrification of demand is a global trend that is gaining momentum as countries take action to address climate change and decarbonize the energy system. To be effective as a decarbonization action, it involves two parallel tracks: shifting energy demand from fossil fuels to electricity and increasing renewable energy grid integration. Together, these parallel tracks form the cornerstone of many countries’ climate action plans. The past decade has seen strong progress in some countries in the grid integration of renewables. This progress and the promise to further increase renewables on the grid opens up the opportunity to decarbonize sections of our whole energy system via electrification.

Abstracts:We are excited to share the 2023 IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) award recipients! Each year, we are proud to highlight leading Society members and industry principals for their notable contributions to PES and the power and energy industry through the following distinct honors and awards.

Abstracts:Readers are encouraged to share their views on issues affecting the electric power and energy profession. Send your letters to the editor-in-chief at pem-eic@ieee.org. Letters may be edited for publication.

Abstracts:The rapidly evolving electricity system with increasing variable renewable energy (VRE) resources provides both opportunities and challenges for the power sector. With the significant ramps and intermittency associated with VRE resources, the requirements and need for additional flexible resources increase. Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) provides flexibility to the electricity grid to replace fossil fuel plants, which are responsible for 25% of U.S. emissions. PSH projects support various aspects of power system operations, including flexibility, ramping capability, energy, ancillary service, black start, and others. The significant potential of hydropower requires understanding the different value drivers to the electricity system specific to the location of a project and then optimizing the plant for the different system values. Thus, determining the value of PSH projects and their many services and contributions to the electricity system can be a challenge for potential developers, system owners, regulators, policy makers, and consultants.

Abstracts:I charge, therefore I drive. Is this the new paradigm? The ambitious goals set by governments worldwide to phase out gasoline-powered cars are the driving force behind the upgrade of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructures. The EV industry and roadways departments may be asked to invest more in wireless charging, that is, without the need for any cable. Transmitter pads that can charge the EV in the garage, or even briefly at traffic lights, may convey the stationary wireless charge, whereas coils embedded into roadways may power EVs as they drive overhead. The standardized wireless charge appears to be the optimum solution to placate the anxiety of drivers.

Abstracts:Costa Rica is internationally recognized for its fight against climate change. In 2019, the country launched its National Decarbonization Plan (NDP), presenting concrete actions in the short, mid, and long terms to reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. The decarbonization of the transport sector is critical to meet this target as it accounts for more than 50% of the country’s net emissions. Plus, it can benefit from its nearly 100% renewable electricity system and its abundant renewable sources to feed the future energy demand for transportation, thus increasing energy independence.

Abstracts:Many countries are enhancing the planning and interconnection process to accelerate the interconnection of solar, wind, and other technologies to the distribution grid. The electrification of transportation, however, is going to have a much larger impact on utility planning and operations, essentially transforming utilities into providers of foundational mobility-related services. The speed of electric vehicle (EV) adoption is increasing and is an order of magnitude faster than the pace at which utilities build new distribution and transmission infrastructure. EV adoption scenarios must be sufficiently accurate, granular, and specific to identify critical grid investment needs. Identifying probable EV adoption and usage patterns and then modeling their impacts on the power grid is a complex process that will be fundamental to decarbonizing the grid.

Abstracts:Governments across the world are exploring options to transition their population away from internal combustion vehicles toward alternative low- and zero-carbon technologies. For small “light-duty” personal and commercial vehicles, the transition toward battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs) appears to be the candidate solution. In Scotland since 2013, more than £50 million (∼US$63 million) has been invested in a nationwide EV charging network consisting of more than 2,400 charging points. Statistics for the year 2022 indicate that more than 2 million vehicle charging sessions took place on the public charging network in Scotland (not including third-party operators nor private charging points) and delivered approximately 43 GWh of energy to vehicles. As of January 2023, there were 69 public charging points per 100,000 people with 17.3 public rapid charging points per 100,000 people. A rapid charger is a device capable of charging an EV at ≥ 25 kW. Generally, rapid charging points are rated at 50-kW dc and above. Increasingly, the classification “rapid” is being replaced by the term journey charging.

Abstracts:Electric Vehicle (EV) Adoption is accelerating across the United States, driven by consumer demand, public policy at all levels of government, and industry commitments to electrification. As a result, more than 50% of all new car sales are forecast to be electric by 2030. This article provides a snapshot of how Portland General Electric Company (PGE), a leading investor-owned utility based in Portland, OR, USA, is preparing for the increase in demand from EVs on the power grid.