As Vermonters transition more of their energy use to electricity with the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and heat pumps, our electric utilities must prepare to meet this rapidly increasing demand.  Hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure investments will be needed to upgrade our electric grid to meet it.  Already, the growth in electricity load demanded from the grid sometimes exceeds its capacity.

Can new, more timely predictive models for energy demand help optimize energy available for consumers?

Building on the success of a 2024 Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships project that is supporting cost savings in grid infrastructure upgrades, this partnership pulls the Vermont Electric Co-op together with UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences to problem-solve the challenge of increased demand on the grid. The project is called FOREST (Flexible Optimization for Reliable Electrification and Sustainable Transition). 

Partners are gathering electric usage data in real time and are using predictive analytics to better plan when to deliver energy to specific parts of the grid.  The partners hope to develop a novel electric grid analytics and device orchestration platform. If successful, this analysis platform can enable Vermont utilities to achieve millions of dollars in savings by deferring or eliminating capital investment costs associated with upgrading expensive power grid hardware (e.g., transformers and power lines and cables).

Vermont Electric Co-Op is working in partnership with UVM College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences CREATE team to gather, analyze and create this toolbox that can eventually be used by utilities across the state to support utility decisions and cost saving for consumers.