Leading Electric Utilities Use GIS Technology to Map Future Infrastructure

As the US prepares to dramatically expand its network of charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) and update power grids to meet growing demand, planners in many jurisdictions are drafting strategies to capture some of the $5 billion slated to help states pay for charging stations under President Joseph Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

To support this effort, Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, is cosponsoring an EV road trip with Zpryme, an energy utility research company. The trip, taking place October 17–21 and spanning more than 400 miles across the state of California, is intended to call attention to the need to modernize America's power grids and build more charging stations in order to reduce reliance on fossil fuels that contribute to climate change.

Along the route from Sacramento to Esri's Redlands headquarters, Zpryme's researchers will visit some of California's leading power companies. During those stops, the researchers will learn about plans being developed to increase power grid capacity to produce more electricity for EVs.

Many power companies already rely on Esri's geographic information system (GIS) software to create dynamic, data-driven interactive maps and dashboards for planning and forecasting, design, and collaboration.

"Geospatial technology is already a fundamental part of how many utility companies operate, so it will be a critical tool in scaling up the nation's EV infrastructure," said Matt Piper, Esri's global director for industry solutions. "GIS can integrate data about a community's demographics, traffic counts, and existing charging stations—this information can be linked to a location and overlaid on a digital map that can be updated and shared as plans change and evolve."

EV owners often have range anxiety, the fear of not finding enough charging stations to complete a journey. This can be a concern for many consumers and slow their transition to the technology. Utilities and planners can use GIS to identify and address gaps in a municipal network of charging stations, predict future demand, and address concerns about equity in station distribution.

"Utility companies are navigating an environment of regulatory shifts and changing consumer behavior and, as a result, are making decisions about the evolution of their business models," said Jason Rodriguez, CEO of Zpryme. "Modernization is necessary to meet these future expectations and to become more resilient in this era where we must find solutions to address the effects of climate change."

All 50 US states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have submitted EV infrastructure deployment plans, as required under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. These plans are required in order to receive support from the first round of $5 billion funding expected over the next five years.

States must ensure that their networks are user-friendly, reliable, and accessible to all Americans and comply with Federal Highway Administration (FHA) standards. GIS technology provides cutting-edge capabilities for collecting and analyzing data to meet these FHA standards, as well as an equity index tool for identifying priority populations and gaps in service.

Learn more about how utilities can use GIS to map future EV charging infrastructure.

About Esri

Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations globally and in over 200,000 institutions in the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com.

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