3 ms·

We already have quite a bit of extra capacity overnight while commercial and industrial are "offline".

• zip1234 5y ago
  My energy provider already allows a separate EV charging meter that charges a reduced rate if you charge at night. I suspect they are not alone in this.
• jakswa 5y ago
  I wish utilities were more open about this data. I would love to see if EVs have done a good job (or maybe too good a job*) flattening out the overnight demand curve. Back in 2012, Georgia Power evangelists were marketing this as a path to greater efficiency: The "base load" caters to minimum demand, and if the curve flattens out, the way I understand it, they can get rid of some of that temporary/spiking demand generation. But that's not saying it's better for the environment. Here in georgia, my impression is that base load is coal generation, and the more expensive natural gas peaker plants are actually cleaner-burning? The desire for more data is to really just verify all these half-baked impressions in my brain.
  • toomuchtodo 5y ago
    Base load plants like thermal and nuclear are retiring, therefore the load shifting to night time provides less benefit over time. Ideally, load is shifted around renewable generation, with only demand that is most inelastic relying on battery storage, pumped storage, or natural gas.