The electrification of transport, heating, and cooling is no longer a distant dream but an imminent reality, reshaping the energy sector’s landscape. However, this transition is not without its challenges. The infrastructure required to support electric vehicles (EVs), from cars to trucks, is still in its infancy. Residential, commercial, and industrial sectors grapple with the cost of new technologies for heating and cooling. Meanwhile, utilities and power generators face the daunting task of supplying enough electricity to meet the increased demand from electrification, all while other power-hungry customers like data centers also grow.
Kristen Helsel, CEO of Liberty Plugins, a California-based company offering Charge Station Management Systems (CSMS), provides a stark reminder that electrification is about more than just EVs. “I think the industry has advanced enough that the topics that must be addressed must be more specific than general EV topics,” Helsel asserts. She emphasizes the need to focus on specific verticals or applications, such as heavy trucking, rural electrification, and infrastructure resilience in the face of natural disasters. “It’s no longer a matter of if we’ll face these natural disasters but a matter of when, and when we do, how can we do better as an industry?”
Electrification is pivotal for decarbonization goals, Helsel argues. “Today, the path to total decarbonization is electrification across the board,” she states. “The grid mix gets cleaner every year, as new renewable sources come online. Electrification is the way forward because it is the only way to leverage renewable resources and clean technologies to solve the climate crisis.” However, she notes that supporting small efforts is crucial. Installing Level 2 EV chargers in city centers or workplace parking lots, for instance, makes EV adoption more accessible. “There are a million little battles like this along the road to full decarbonization and each one is critical,” Helsel says.
To accomplish electrification goals, Helsel suggests investing in charging equipment and placing it where people spend a lot of time. “A Level 2 charger powered by a common 240-volt circuit can recharge a vehicle in full overnight, or during the workday,” she explains. Charge station management has evolved to eliminate vendor lock-in, allowing organizations to connect chargers to existing infrastructure and manage them with user-friendly software. “We want to reduce the anxiety around transitioning to EVs and widespread electrification,” Helsel says. “To do that, it is important to make it easy for people to find charging when they need it, access it, pay for it, and then go on with their lives.”
Government policies and environmental activism initially drove electrification, but today, market forces are taking the lead. “The early adopters and government have gotten us to a scale where the EV industry is nearly self-sufficient,” Helsel notes. “Interest and demand from the public are what is driving electrification today.” She believes that electrification tech providers should focus on making solutions accessible and user-friendly to meet public demand.
In the current political climate, Helsel argues that the industry has enough momentum to keep moving forward, even if government participation wavers. “If we listen to customers and give them what they want so that they can be comfortable and transition successfully, then electrification will propel itself forward with that investment,” she says.
Electrification technologies can also help utilities manage electricity and support grid flexibility. However, Helsel notes that most people are disconnected from the grid and unaware of what can be done to improve it. As the energy sector navigates these challenges, one thing is clear: electrification is here to stay, and it’s up to industry leaders, policymakers, and consumers to shape its future. The conversation around electrification is shifting from ‘if’ to ‘how,’ and it’s time to tackle the specific, vertical challenges that lie ahead. The path forward is electrification, and the industry is ready to drive the change, one charge at a time.
