ChargeWise California Wins 2026 AESP Energy Award for Innovation in Technology

MCE, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, and ev.energy’s dynamic pricing pilot recognized for pioneering equitable grid flexibility and delivering 98% of EV charging off-peak.

PALO ALTO, CA — February 25, 2026 — The ChargeWise California pilot, a collaborative dynamic-pricing-based managed charging initiative between MCE, Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), and ev.energy, and funded by the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) REDWDS initiative, has been named the winner of the 2026 AESP Energy Award for Innovations in Technology. Presented by the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP), this prestigious award recognizes technological advancements that demonstrate exceptional innovation, market disruption, and measurable results in the energy services field.

The ChargeWise California pilot was honored for its pioneering use of dynamic hourly price signals to orchestrate residential electric vehicle charging. By moving beyond a traditional Time-of-Use (TOU) rates approach, the program demonstrated a superior ability to align EV load with California’s grid needs. Specifically, ev.energy’s Platform supported shifting charging to periods of abundant solar generation and away from the critical evening peak.

Pioneering Results in Grid Flexibility 

The first phase of ChargeWise California delivered industry-leading outcomes that redefine the potential of managed charging:

• Maximum Off-Peak Delivery: Successfully delivered 98% of EV charging energy off-peak, significantly outperforming the 60-70% typically achieved by the standard TOU rate approach.
• Solar Alignment: Shifted up to 30% of charging to midday, solar-rich hours, directly reducing renewable energy curtailment and lowering carbon emissions.
• Customer Savings: Customers enrolled in MCE’s dynamic tier earned monthly incentives of up to $40. This is four times the standard $10 incentive offered for regular participation in low-carbon initiatives.
• Equity at Scale: Surpassed goals for inclusivity, with over 50% of participants enrolled from Disadvantaged Communities (DACs).

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“This award validates dynamic pricing as a game-changer for grid reliability,” said Nick Woolley, CEO and Co-Founder of ev.energy. “ChargeWise proves that automated, price-responsive technology turns EVs into foundational grid assets while delivering a zero-effort experience for drivers. ev.energy’s unique ability to continuously dispatch individual assets across any make or model—rather than aggregate blocks of load or specific OEMs—allows us to stack and maximize benefits from local distribution to wholesale markets. As we scale this model to hundreds of thousands of drivers in Phase 2, this recognition reinforces our commitment to an equitable and flexible energy future. We look forward to applying these learnings to orchestrate all residential DERs with our North American clients, ensuring every device contributes to a more resilient, affordable grid.”

“At MCE, our top priority is delivering innovative solutions that serve our community’s evolving needs while decarbonizing energy,” said Melanie Biesecker, Senior Customer Programs Manager at MCE. “By partnering with ev.energy, we were able to quickly deploy a cutting-edge dynamic pricing technology that works within existing regulatory frameworks to make smart charging effortless for our customers. The success of the ChargeWise pilot proves that we can move at the speed of the market to support California’s clean energy goals, and we look forward to scaling this award-winning model to meet the future demands of our grid.”

“Decarbonization is core to Silicon Valley Clean Energy’s mission, requiring collaboration and innovation,” said Rebecca Fang, SVCE Manager of Data and Analytics. “The ChargeWise pilot provided the perfect opportunity for us community choice aggregators to work directly with the software and program developers, resulting in an agile platform that produced results and findings that many in this space will benefit from.”

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Insights from the Field 

The success of the pilot was recently featured in ev.energy’s Advanced Managed Charging Insights webinar, where Melanie Biesecker, Senior Customer Programs Manager at MCE, discussed how the program successfully encouraged electric vehicle charging during the 9 AM to 3 PM window. This strategy was designed to absorb surplus solar power from renewable sources, thereby optimizing the system to balance the "duck curve" and its associated mismatch between solar energy supply and peak demand. 

The webinar highlighted that active automation not only delivers superior grid results but also provides significantly higher financial outcomes for drivers compared to standard behavioral programs.

With the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) mandating that load-serving entities offer optional dynamic rates by 2027, the ChargeWise pilot serves as a critical real-world testbed for the future of California’s rate design.

Following the successful conclusion of Phase 1, ev.energy is now preparing for Phase 2, which aims to expand the ChargeWise model to reach 275,000 new EV drivers across the state.

Visit the ev.energy website for more information about ChargeWise California and the technical findings of the pilot in Phase 1.

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Notes to the Editor

• The 98% energy delivered off-peak figure from dynamic pricing and managed charging is based on a combination of programs in California with a dynamic pricing tier on ev.energy’s platform.
• The 60-70% off-peak TOU-only figure is based on previous ev.energy research that took into account data for TOU participants across the US and the UK.
• The TOU and managed charging off-peak figure of 90% is an average across live California-based programs powered by ev.energy.

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About ev.energy

ev.energy exists to connect everyone to greener, cheaper, simpler EV charging — managing the world’s EV charging, everywhere. ev.energy provides a scalable, inclusive, and proven end-to-end platform that turns electric vehicles and other distributed energy resources into flexible grid assets, unlocking real value for energy providers, consumers, and the planet. With a global base of utility, vehicle OEM, and EVSE partners, ev.energy is a leading force in smart charging. Learn more at https://www.ev.energy/. 

Media contact: 

James Pratley 

press@ev.energy

About Silicon Valley Clean Energy

Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit, community-owned agency providing electricity from renewable and clean sources to more than 280,000 residential and commercial customers in 13 Santa Clara County jurisdictions. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Silicon Valley Clean Energy is advancing innovative solutions to fight climate change by decarbonizing the grid, transportation, and buildings. Learn more at svcleanenergy.org

About MCE

MCE is a not-for-profit public agency and the preferred electricity provider for nearly 600,000 customer accounts and 1.5 million residents and businesses across Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano Counties. Setting the standard for clean energy in California since 2010, MCE leads with 60–100% renewable power at stable rates, serving a 1,400 MW peak load, significantly reducing greenhouse emissions, and reinvesting millions in local programs. For more information about MCE, visit mceCleanEnergy.org, or follow us on your preferred social platform @mceCleanEnergy.