As more electric vehicles hit the road, utilities are looking for new ways to manage growing electricity demand while maintaining reliable service. In 2026, Essex Powerlines partnered with BluWave-ai, an organization that leverages AI to empower utilities as they navigate the energy transition, in a province-wide project. This grid load management program uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help manage EV charging and support the electricity grid.
The project uses BluWave-ai's EV Everywhere™ platform, which connects with participating electric vehicles and helps coordinate charging during periods of high demand. By shifting charging to times when electricity demand is lower, the platform helps reduce pressure on local substations and transformers while supporting reliability across the broader electricity system. Other Ontario utilities have already joined the project, including Oshawa Power, Oakville Hydro, and Enova Power.
For Essex Powerlines, the initiative supports both grid reliability and customer participation. Through the EV Everywhere program, customers can connect their compatible EVs to a free smart charging platform that works in the background to optimize charging. Participants help support a more reliable electricity system, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and earn rewards that can be redeemed for gift cards, tree planting initiatives, and other incentives.
The project comes at an important time for Ontario. The province currently has about 300,000 EVs on the road and is projected to reach 500,000 by 2029. As EV adoption grows, utilities need innovative tools to manage increasing demand without relying solely on traditional infrastructure upgrades.
Essex Powerlines sees EVs as more than just a new source of demand. John Avdoulos, President and CEO of Essex Powerlines, says, “Transitioning toward a Distributed System Operator (DSO) model requires intelligent, real-time control over edge-of-grid assets. This project allows us to leverage residential EV flexible loads as an active grid resource, moving us closer to our goal of operating an agile, localized market that can seamlessly interact with the bulk system.”
The project also provides valuable real-world data that will help utilities better understand how EVs interact with local distribution systems and how smart charging can reduce peak demand. By working alongside other Ontario utilities and offering customers a practical way to participate, Essex Powerlines is helping explore how new technologies can support electrification, improve reliability, and prepare the grid for the future.