CEE PhD Defense: Fletcher Passow, "Integrating Electric Truck Charging with the Electric Grid Under Electric Grid Capacity Constraints and Adoption Uncertainty"

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Abstract:

Freight trucks make up only a small fraction of U.S. vehicles but produce a large share of transportation greenhouse gas emissions. Adopting electric trucks would reduce emissions and local air pollution, but the high-power charging required would often demand upgrades to electric distribution grids near truck stops, warehouses, and factories — particularly to the substations that form the critical interface between distribution and transmission grids. These upgrade projects can take as much as 3-9 years and cost millions, while fleet operators can acquire electric trucks and build charging facilities in under a year. This timing asymmetry creates a structural bottleneck: fleet operators and charge point operators (CPOs) cannot confidently electrify without grid capacity, yet grid operators cannot confidently invest without evidence of charging demand. The result is a self-reinforcing deadlock. To contribute to breaking this deadlock, this dissertation explores ways that i) CPOs can reduce the grid capacity required for truck charging and ii) grid operators can plan ahead for charging in the face of substantial uncertainty about electric truck adoption.