Researchers at the National Laboratory of the Rockies partnered with Xcel Energy, a major public utility serving more than 3.7 million customers across eight states, to develop solutions addressing strain on the electrical grid. Rising electricity demand driven by data centers, artificial intelligence, and increasing electric vehicle adoption requires utilities to balance reliability, safety, and cost considerations when determining whether distribution infrastructure upgrades are necessary.
The research team conducted detailed analyses of selected areas within Xcel Energy’s distribution network to understand how different scenarios of electric demand, varying both in magnitude and timing throughout the day, could affect grid operations. This work revealed that smart energy management strategies could mitigate the need for expensive infrastructure upgrades by shifting peak energy demand to periods when overall grid demand is lower. In one feeder studied, grid-aware smart energy management combined with vehicle charging flexibility enabled over 94% of charging sessions to be fully satisfied without increasing transformer overloads, compared to scenarios without such management.
From this partnership, researchers developed the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure — Distribution System Integration Tool (EVI-DiST), an open-source application that any utility can use to analyze their distribution networks and assess the effectiveness of different energy management strategies. The tool features two operational modes: a faster “Lite” mode providing high-level insights at the feeder and transformer level over a week-long timeframe, and a more detailed “Plus” mode offering comprehensive power flow simulations for specific areas over a single day.
The development process required integration of expertise across transportation, grid planning, and systems analysis. Researchers combined vehicle energy demand models with detailed property-level grid mapping for sample service areas near Denver to create comprehensive forecasts. The team then tested various smart energy management approaches at both feeder and transformer levels to understand how utilities could balance infrastructure upgrades with algorithmic solutions tailored to their specific needs.
By releasing EVI-DiST as open-source software on GitHub rather than through licensing agreements, the research team aims to facilitate direct collaboration with utility companies nationwide. The tool includes detailed guidance for data formatting to accommodate the different labeling systems used by various utilities, making it accessible to the approximately 3,000 utility companies operating across the United States.