BluWave-ai CEO Speaks About Launching Innovative Ontario-Wide EV and Distribution Grid Load Management AI Project in Canada

BluWave-ai has announced the launch of an Ontario-wide EV and distribution grid load management AI project that expands the deployment of its EV Everywhere™ platform across Canada. The initiative will work with Oshawa Power, Oakville Hydro, Enova Power, and Essex Powerlines to leverage connected electric vehicles as flexible grid resources capable of balancing local distribution system constraints while also supporting the broader Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) grid.

The project is based on BluWave-ai’s Canadian-developed technology portfolio, which now includes 15 granted patents and more than 60 international patent filings. The deployment comes as Ontario continues to experience rapid EV growth, with the province expected to increase from approximately 300,000 electric vehicles today to an estimated 500,000 by 2029 in a BluWave-ai analyst projection.

The initiative builds upon BluWave-ai’s previous production-scale deployments of EV Everywhere™ and follows the successful completion of Canada’s first AI-driven demand response events involving multiple EV manufacturers at Hydro Ottawa in late 2024.

During those demonstrations, the platform coordinated vehicle-to-cloud telemetry across multiple automotive brands, temporarily pausing active charging sessions to reduce localized grid congestion and support electrical system operations.

This originally began with a $4.8M commercialization project co-funded by the IESO’s Grid Innovation Fund and supported by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), using BluWave-ai’s initial EV Everywhere product, turning EVs into managed, distributed storage for electricity grids.

“When just 33% of Canada’s current 1 million EVs get on the platform, it offers grids across the country approximately 2.5 GW of power capacity and 20 GWh of storage capacity, which is enough to power the entire British Columbia grid for two hours alone,” said Devashish Paul, CEO and founder of BluWave-ai. “By scaling this into an Ontario-wide network with forward-thinking utilities like Oshawa Power, Oakville Hydro, Enova, and Essex Powerlines, we are taking the lessons from our early IESO-backed projects and moving them into widespread grid operationalization.”

Paul continued: “We can balance local substation constraints and the bulk IESO grid simultaneously, turning a potential grid liability into a massive, distributed battery as Ontario scales toward half a million EVs. Once the grid gets to 500,000 EVs, this puts an additional 1-2GW of load on the grid in evenings on top of 4 GW of utility scale battery charging that is expected. Having a made-in-Ontario AI software platform that can smooth out system level congestion that also reacts to distribution grid constraints is a win-win for LDC’s and the overall IESO system.”

“Canada’s competitive advantage depends on more than inventing new technologies. It depends on giving Canadian companies the opportunity to commercialize them here at home. BluWave-ai’s partnership with Ontario utilities demonstrates the power of buying, deploying, and scaling Canadian innovation. When we create pathways for homegrown companies to grow in Canada, we deliver value for customers, strengthen our economic sovereignty, and build the next generation of global innovation leaders,” said Patrick Searle, President and CEO of the Council of Canadian Innovators.

Significant Economic and Operational Benefits

BluWave-ai said the platform has demonstrated significant economic and operational benefits. The company reports that aggregating EVs as distributed energy resources is approximately 55 times more capital-efficient than deploying equivalent utility-scale battery storage. The technology also has the potential to provide infrastructure deferral value ranging from $2.3 million to $7.9 million per 1,000 EVs, depending on local grid conditions.

Another key capability of the platform is addressing the “timer peak” phenomenon, which occurs when large numbers of EV owners schedule charging to begin simultaneously during lower overnight electricity rate periods.

According to BluWave-ai, the system achieved 100% target adherence while reducing peak demand by as much as 32%. The company also reported average customer opt-out rates of only 4%, indicating strong consumer acceptance of managed charging programs that prioritize drivers’ desired departure state of charge.

An Opportunity to Better Understand How EVs Can Be Integrated Into Future Grid Operations

Utility partners participating in the project view the initiative as an opportunity to better understand how EVs can be integrated into future grid operations.

“Our service area is expanding rapidly, coupled with a very high rate of EV penetration,” said Greig Cameron, President and CEO of Enova Power. “Through this project, we’re gaining valuable insights into how EVs interact with our grid, and how we can leverage them as an active resource to support load management.”

“Transitioning toward a Distributed System Operator model requires intelligent, real-time control over edge-of-grid assets,” said John Avdoulos, President and CEO of Essex Powerlines. “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.”

Jeff Mocha, Chief Operations and Electrification Officer of Oakville Hydro, noted that EV adoption continues to increase electricity demand across the utility’s service territory. He said participation in the Ontario-wide initiative will help proactively manage future demand growth, reduce the risk of localized grid constraints, and maintain reliable service for customers through AI-enabled charging coordination.

Daniel Arbour, CEO of Oshawa Power, emphasized the value of using innovative alternatives to traditional infrastructure expansion. He said BluWave-ai’s AI-driven substation load management technology can help maximize existing distribution assets, defer physical infrastructure investments, maintain reliability, and provide valuable data for future grid planning while offering EV charging incentives to customers.

Ability of EV Everywhere™ to Communicate Directly With Multiple Vehicle Manufacturers

The ability of EV Everywhere™ to communicate directly with multiple vehicle manufacturers remains central to the project. Through production-scale testing and deployment, EV Everywhere™ has demonstrated compatibility with Tesla, Kia, Hyundai, General Motors, Ford, Volvo, BMW, Jaguar, Mini, and Porsche vehicles, with support for additional automotive brands expected in the future.

BESS Assets Should Be Deployed Secondarily

BluWave-ai’s testing across Canadian electricity grids over the past two years indicates that utilities should prioritize managed EV charging as a non-wires alternative because it is significantly more capital-efficient than battery energy storage systems (BESS).

“Based on our extensive testing over the past two years in grids across Canada, utilities should prioritize EV curtailment as the primary non-wires alternative resource due to its superior capital efficiency relative to Battery Storage,” said Alex Linchieh, Director of Product Management at BluWave-ai. “BESS assets should be deployed secondarily for ‘firming’ capacity and fast-frequency response (sub-minute) where EV latency (90seconds) is insufficient. EV capex is paid for by consumers, whereas front-of-the-meter (FOTM) batteries are either paid for by utilities or capitalized by IPPs with utility commitments to long-term contracts, so EVs are very attractive from a capital angle.”

“Regardless, by combining EV Everywhere with our Energy Storage Autopilot™, our platform can aggregate the entire pool of EVs and BESS assets as a large energy storage base readily available for utilities and system operators. Our software system demonstrated the capacity to reduce peak EV charging loads by up to 35 percent and on average by 21.7 percent,” continued Linchieh.

Availability of the Energy Storage Autopilot for FOTM energy storage facilities follows BluWave-ai’s deployment with Area X.O, a multi-sector research and development complex founded by Invest Ottawa.

In 2025, BluWave-ai and Area X.O announced the deployment of a groundbreaking project to optimize the performance of grid-scale batteries using BluWave-ai EV Everywhere™ and BluWave-ai Energy Storage Autopilot to manage grid congestion.

BluWave-ai highlighted the complementary role of battery energy storage systems. While the company believes EV flexibility should be prioritized as a highly capital-efficient non-wires alternative, battery storage remains valuable for applications requiring firm capacity and fast-frequency response. By combining EV Everywhere™ with BluWave-ai’s Energy Storage Autopilot™, utilities can aggregate both EVs and grid-scale battery systems into a unified energy storage resource capable of supporting grid operations.

Aligning Participation Requirements With the North American FERC 2222 Standard

To help unlock the full potential of managed EV charging, BluWave-ai is encouraging electricity system operators and provincial regulators, including the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), Régie de l’énergie, and the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC), to reduce market participation thresholds to 100 kW per market node, which is roughly equivalent to 100 EVs. The company says aligning participation requirements with the North American FERC 2222 standard would make it easier for utilities to leverage EVs as grid resources, capitalize software-as-a-service (SaaS) expenses associated with non-wires alternatives (NWAs), and use direct EV telemetry for measurement and verification purposes.

Drivers Participating in the EV Everywhere™ Program Can Earn Rewards While Helping Support Grid Reliability

Drivers interested in participating in the EV Everywhere™ program can enroll through EV-Everywhere.ca, where they can earn rewards while helping support grid reliability.

Participants can take advantage of lower electricity rates by charging during off-peak periods, power their vehicles with cleaner energy, receive personalized insights into their energy usage, contribute to the development of a more connected and intelligent electricity grid, and earn incentives for driving more sustainably. Utilities and system operators looking to utilize EVs as flexible load and energy resources can learn more about the EV Everywhere™ platform through BluWave-ai’s utility-focused programs and services.

EVinfo.net Interviews Devashish Paul, CEO and founder of BluWave-ai

EVinfo.net had the honor of interviewing Devashish Paul, CEO and founder of BluWave-ai about the company’s amazing innovations.

Bill Pierce:

What is the core objective of the newly launched Ontario-wide EV and distribution grid load management project?

Devashish Paul:

The primary objective is to scale EV Everywhere™, an AI-driven software platform, across Ontario using residential EVs to balance local distribution grids while simultaneously helping to stabilize the bulk Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) grid.

By working directly with local distribution companies (LDCs)—specifically Oshawa Power, Oakville Hydro, Enova, and Essex Power—the project turns connected Electric Vehicles (EVs) into a coordinated, managed distributed energy resource. This mitigates localized grid congestion and smooths out system-level demand peaks, which is urgently needed as Ontario accelerates from its current base of about 300 000 EVs on the road to our estimate of half a million EVs by 2029.

Bill Pierce:

As an EV driver, how do I get on board with EV Everywhere?

Devashish Paul:

To get on the platform wherever you live, not just in Ontario, you can go to ev-everywhere.ca which provides you the links to download the EV Everywhere app for your smartphone. You can then earn rewards for participation and link to your EV. The app lets you set preferences to charge when rates are lowest, when the local energy mix is cleaner and to allow you to set times when you will want to have your car charged to go on a long trip for example. The app provides you personalized insights on your energy use and real time information on the energy mix and grid stress at your location.

Bill Pierce:

Does it cost anything to use the EV Everywhere app?

Devashish Paul:

No, it is free to download and use. Even if you do not have an EV it can show you your local energy mix providing our “BluScore” for your location at a particular time and later in the day. This shows at a glance the energy mix: how much renewable energy is available and the local demand and stress on the grid.

Bill Pierce:

How does this project build on BluWave-ai’s prior milestones in Canada?

Devashish Paul:

This project is the culmination of over two and a half years of operationalizing the EV Everywhere™ platform. The initial productization of EV Everywhere™ was pioneered through a $4.8 million project co-funded by the IESO’s Grid Innovation Fund and supported by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB). In late 2024, BluWave-ai completed Canada’s first AI-driven, multi-OEM demand response events with Hydro Ottawa. The system successfully paused active charging sessions via vehicle-to-cloud telemetry to alleviate local grid congestion.

Bill Pierce:

The press release highlights “Massive Capital Efficiency.” What are the specific metrics behind this claim?

Devashish Paul:

The data gathered from operational deployment highlights two major financial benefits:

55x Battery Cost-Efficiency: Aggregating existing EVs on the road to manage grid load was found to be approximately 55 times more capital-efficient than purchasing and deploying equivalent utility-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). This is because the capital expenditure of the vehicle battery is already paid for by the consumer.

Infrastructure Deferral Value: Depending on local grid conditions, the platform has the potential to deliver between $2.3 million and $7.9 million in infrastructure deferral value per 1,000 EVs. This allows utilities to postpone or entirely avoid expensive physical hardware upgrades (like replacing substations or transformers).

Bill Pierce:

What is the “Timer Peak” and how did the EV Everywhere™ platform manage it?

Devashish Paul:

The “Timer Peak” occurs when EV owners schedule their vehicles to begin charging simultaneously at the exact moment cheaper, overnight electricity rates begin. This creates a sudden, massive surge in demand. EV Everywhere™ in operation achieved 100% target adherence, reducing peak overnight demand by up to 32% (with an average reduction of 21.7% and up to 35% in peak EV charging loads) by intelligently staggering and smoothing out these charging sessions.

Bill Pierce:

From a technical perspective, how does EV Everywhere™ communicate with vehicles, and which automotive brands are supported?

Devashish Paul:

The platform operates using vehicle-to-cloud telemetry (direct communication with the vehicle’s onboard systems) rather than relying on smart charging hardware installed in the home. It has proven, production-validated compatibility with a diverse ecosystem of major automotive brands, including: Tesla, Kia, Hyundai, Ford, GM, Volvo, BMW, Jaguar, Mini, and Porsche (with more being added)

Bill Pierce:

How do utility executives view this transition, and what operational challenges does it solve for them?

Devashish Paul:

Our utility partner CEOs view this project as a vital stepping stone towards the Distributed System Operator (DSO) model, where local utilities actively manage edge-of-grid resources and mitigate and defer capital-intensive infrastructure upgrades. They see this enabling them to residential EV flexible loads to operate an agile, localized market that seamlessly interacts with the bulk power system. With rapid suburban expansion and high EV penetration, this also gives them valuable insights into how EVs can be leveraged as a resource to support load management.

Bill Pierce:

Since utility-scale batteries (BESS) are 55x less capital-efficient, how should utilities go about deploying them?

Devashish Paul:

They serve complementary roles. Utilities should prioritize active EV demand management because of its unparalleled capital efficiency, while front-of-the-meter (FOTM) battery storage assets should be deployed secondarily for “firming” capacity and fast-frequency response (sub-minute events) where EV latency (which sits at about 90 seconds) is too slow. When paired with our Energy Storage Autopilot™, utilities can aggregate both the EV pool and local BESS assets to act as one unified, massive energy storage asset.

Bill Pierce:

What policy recommendations does BluWave-ai have for regulators to accelerate these benefits for distribution utilities?

Devashish Paul:

To unlock these benefits quickly, BluWave-ai recommends that provincial regulators and electricity system operators take these steps:

1. Lower market participation thresholds to 100 kW per market node (which roughly corresponds to 100 aggregated EVs per node), aligning Canadian policies with the North American FERC 2222 standard.

2. Allow utilities to capitalize SaaS software expenses for Non-Wires Alternatives (NWAs).

3. Use direct vehicle telemetry for Measurement & Verification (M&V) rather than requiring expensive external hardware.

About BluWave-ai

Founded in Ottawa in 2017, BluWave-ai develops artificial intelligence solutions focused on renewable energy, energy storage, and electric transportation. The company works with utilities, independent power producers, and EV fleet operators to optimize cost, carbon reduction, and grid reliability in real time. Backed by more than $16 million in funding, including a $9.5 million Series A round, BluWave-ai continues to expand its role in helping utilities manage the growing impact of transportation electrification while supporting the transition to a smarter, more flexible energy system.