Enel X, formerly EnerNOC and now the energy services arm of Italian energy company Enel, has partnered with two Washington utilities, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and Seattle City Light, to launch new smart charging programs in the Bellevue and Seattle areas. In total, the two projects will provide more than 550 Enel X JuiceBox smart chargers to residential customers.

The utilities hope the programs will help boost EV adoption in the state while at the same time gathering insights into EV drivers’ charging behavior to learn how to efficiently scale smart charging programs.

Through the Up & Go Electric program, PSE will cover 75% of the cost of installing a PSE-branded JuiceBox smart charging station for 500 qualified customers. The chargers will be powered by JuiceNet software, which monitors drivers’ historical charging patterns, and acquires real-time input and signals from the electric grid to aggregate and manage charging station demand. This allows EV drivers to charge at times when electricity costs are lower and renewable energy is most available.

Seattle City Light will provide up to 70 customers with a JuiceBox charger and installation support, all for a monthly fee. Like PSE, Seattle City Light will use the collected data to analyze EV charging patterns to inform future programs and support continued growth of electric transportation.

Enel X says the two partnerships will also help meet the state’s new decarbonization targets of carbon-neutral electricity by 2030 and 100% clean electricity by 2045.

“As more of our customers are choosing to drive electric cars, we want to support them with smart charging solutions but also understand the unique impacts of EV charging on the grid,” said PSE Manager Heather Mulligan. “The information we learn from Enel X and its JuiceNet platform will inform future programs as PSE seek to support continued growth of electric transportation in our region.”

Source: Enel X