PG&E Flex Connect pilot sees high customer
Pacific Gas & Electric's flexible interconnection pilot, which offers faster grid hookups in exchange for allowing the utility to limit capacity during rare grid constraints, has provided participants with their full requested capacity for 90% of operating hours during its first two years.
Pacific Gas & Electric's flexible interconnection pilot has provided participants with their full requested capacity for 90% of operating hours during its first two years. The program's manager, Alex Collins, told Utility Dive that operational loads are impacted less than 1% of the time during rare grid constraints.
Most of the utility's five current and roughly 85 prospective customers are in the electric vehicle charging business. The pipeline also includes smaller data centers, advanced manufacturing facilities, and battery energy storage facilities aiming to participate in California's wholesale market.
How Flex Connect Works
A Flex Connect customer links their energy management system directly to PG&E's grid management system. This link provides scheduled or real-time capacity limits based on grid availability for the customer's load to follow. Most active and potential sites range from 2 MW to 5 MW, though some data center and manufacturing prospects approach 10 MW.
PG&E developed the program in response to a surge in new service applications that was outpacing typical timelines for building new grid capacity. Collins said the program grew from direct customer feedback, not a regulatory mandate, though PG&E is now working to formalize it with commission oversight.
Solving Interconnection Delays
Before Flex Connect, some customers faced one- to three-year waits for a firm interconnection at their full requested capacity. In the interim, they would be limited to a fraction of that capacity at all times. A PG&E fact sheet cited a hypothetical 2-MW EV charging customer limited to just 500 kW until upgrades were completed.
The flexible interconnection process for interested EV fast-charging customers involves six steps and lasts roughly four to eight months from initial assessment to site commissioning. This contrasts sharply with the previous multi-year waits.
| Customer Type | Typical Project Size | Previous Wait Time | Flex Connect Process Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| EV Fast Charging | 2 MW - 5 MW | 1-3 years | 4-8 months |
| Data Centers / Manufacturing | Up to 10 MW | 1-3 years | 4-8 months |
Early Results and Customer Expansion
Two Flex Connect customers have already graduated from the pilot after an average wait of about 18 months for permanent grid upgrades. Early participants have been satisfied, with some returning to ask for the program to be applied to their entire business pipeline.
Collins said the program has unlocked something in their minds. He noted that customers see it is not just an empty promise but can actually drive their business forward, leading them to ask what PG&E can do for their entire pipeline.
One early adopter is a WattEV electric truck charging depot in Fresno, California. The site has 15 240-kW charging ports and seven ports capable of delivering over 1 MW each. Josh Simes, a top PG&E executive in the area, said Flex Connect helped WattEV get online well ahead of traditional timelines while longer-term upgrades are underway. The site can draw up to 3.6 MW during most hours of the year.
