Going from 0-60: How Utilities Can Prepare for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment

Erika H. Myers joined SEPA in 2015 and leads SEPA’s transportation electrification research. She has 16 years of experience in the clean energy sector and specializes in the nexus between the grid, electric vehicles, and renewable energy.

Erika currently serves on an electric vehicle (EV) steering committee for the U.S. Department of Energy and is an EV advisor for the National Energy Foundation, a non-profit organization developing curriculum to increase EV literacy in K-12 schools. She was awarded the 2019 Public Utility Fortnightly “Fortnightly Under 40” award for her work on vehicle-grid integration.

Prior to joining SEPA, Erika worked as a consultant with ICF International where she helped electric utilities and local governments develop EV readiness plans. She also served as the Renewable Energy Manager for the South Carolina Energy Office and was a Clean Cities Coordinator for the Palmetto State Clean Fuels Coalition. In these roles, she oversaw the development and execution of key state renewable energy and clean transportation policies, regulations, and grant programs.

Erika has a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina with a specialization in clean energy and climate science.

In her spare time, Erika volunteers for her city’s Energy Transition Subcommittee where she identified donations for the city’s first bank of public EV chargers. She also volunteers as a regular guest speaker for the Clean Energy Leadership Institute and mentors young professionals interested in a clean transportation career.

Dan is passionate about transportation electrification and distributed clean energy technology. As the Senior Product Manager for Energy Services at Chanje Energy, Dan is building an integrated portfolio of scalable hardware and software solutions for medium-duty/last-mile fleets to charge their EVs reliably and cost-effectively, in order to accelerate commercial EV adoption worldwide. He is working directly with some of the largest fleets in the U.S. to design and implement their fleet electrification strategies. Prior to Chanje, Dan was a Managing Consultant at Black & Veatch, where he worked with leading electric utilities and other clients globally to better integrate renewable and distributed energy resources into the grid. This work included software implementation, integrated resource planning, EV infrastructure planning, valuing distributed solar, utility solar program design, and smart city feasibility assessments. In his spare time, he chairs the Distribution Planning Subcommittee of the Smart Electric Power Alliance’s EV Working Group, and enjoys discussing how future technology and business models will transform the transportation and energy industries, and leave a more sustainable world for the next generation.

Director of Strategy & Innovation for Black & Veatch, Paul Stith specializes planning and building sustainable transportation and distributed clean energy infrastructure. His projects span North America, Europe and Asia supporting OEMs, utilities, fleets and transportation service providers to electrify and automate light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles on the ground, aloft and afloat.

Prior to Black & Veatch, Paul was Director, Business Development and Regulatory Affairs for EV Grid where he led policy initiatives with the CPUC, California roadmaps for VGI and Energy Storage, V2G school buses and second-life battery system interconnection with BMW’s Pacific Gas & Electric VGI pilot.

April Bolduc is president of S Curve Strategies and works with utilities and states across the U.S. developing and implementing electric vehicle infrastructure, partnership and outreach strategies. Her holistic approach to transportation electrification program development is her key to success as she ensures all internal and external stakeholders are moving in step toward strategic growth. Prior to forming S Curve Strategies April lead San Diego Gas & Electric’s electric vehicle customer engagement team. S Curve Strategies is a certified women-owned business and member of the Smart Electric Power Alliance’s EV Working Group. April has been driving electric since 2011.

Jordan W. Smith is Senior Engineer for Emerging Technologies & Valuation in SCE’s Grid Technology and Modernization organization. He has been evaluating advanced technology vehicles, energy storage, and charging infrastructure for 20 years at SCE’s EV Technical Center. In 2011, California adopted battery charger efficiency standards in its appliance code, based in part on prior work by Smith at SCE, work which later led to him to chair the SAE J2894 task force on EV charger power quality. In 2013 he developed and executed the SCE test plan which enabled connection of the first vehicle to grid systems in the L.A. Air Force Base V2G pilot – the first V2G systems aggregated to engage in the California ISO ancillary services market. Mr. Smith represents SCE in U.S. DRIVE, Driving Research and Innovation for Vehicle efficiency and Energy sustainability, Grid Integration Technical Team, the U.S. collaboration with the automobile industry, federal government, and electric utilities on vehicle-grid integration. Mr. Smith received a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering and an M.S. degree in engineering management from California State Polytechnic University and is a licensed professional engineer in California.