February 5, 2021 – NRCan announced a $1,119,000 investment to help Nova Scotia Power establish “cost-effective energy solutions for an electric vehicle smart grid-integrated system”.

The pilot project will demonstrate and assess smart charging EV solutions and technologies for the potential to make more-efficient use of renewable power sources and reduce the demand on current electricity infrastructure.

The technologies will enable EVs to store and discharge electricity during peak times to ease pressure on the grid. The project will also recruit up to 200 participants to help inform the demonstration.

“We know customers want clean, affordable, reliable energy for their homes and businesses, and we are finding innovative ways to meet that demand,” said Dave Landrigan, Nova Scotia Power. “Through our electric vehicle smart charging pilot, we will test these technologies to learn how they can benefit all customers, creating clean, smarter options without changing a person’s driving habits.”

Federal funding for this project was provided through Natural Resources Canada’s Green Infrastructure – Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstration program, which aims to accelerate the deployment and market entry of next-generation clean energy infrastructure.