JEC: Key Drivers of Increased Electricity Demand

Electricity demand in Jersey is rising due to the island’s transition to an all-electric future—especially the shift from fossil fuel heating and transport to electric systems. Jersey Electricity expects a 25% increase in peak demand and a 75% rise in overall usage over the next decade.

Key Drivers of Increased Electricity Demand

Electrification of Heating

Around 20,000 households are expected to switch from oil or gas heating to electric alternatives like heat pumps, in line with Jersey’s Carbon Neutral Roadmap (CNR) (see Jersey Electricity Channel 103 BBC.)

Growth in Electric Vehicles (EVs)

As petrol and diesel vehicles are phased out, EV adoption is accelerating, adding significant load to the grid, especially during peak charging times.

Autocar notes that "Home charging is easy and convenient, so it's no wonder that, according to the Energy Saving Trust, 80% of EV charging takes place at drivers' homes."

"But there is a caveat: The biggest caveat for home charging is that you need access to a driveway, garage or some other form of off-street parking close to your house, because you musn't stretch a charging cable across roads or footpaths."

"Of course, not everyone can charge from home. Around 60% of drivers in the UK have access to a driveway, a figure that drops to 40% for residents of urban areas. There’s still much work to be done to make home charging accessible for all, particularly those in rented accommodation or flats and apartments. "

This is something that Jersey's government with its ban on imports of petrol cars from 2030 has really ignored. It is a major deficiency which almost certainly cannot be addressed in time. 

Commercial and Industrial Expansion

 

New developments and business growth (e.g. in Trinity) require higher-capacity substations and cable upgrades to support increased energy use.

Smart Meter Insights

Data from smart meters and a digital twin of the grid reveal hotspots of rising demand, helping JEC target upgrades where usage is surging (see Jersey Electricity.

Net Zero by 2050

 
Jersey’s commitment to net zero emissions means nearly all energy services - heating, transport, and industrial processes - must shift to electricity Channel 103 BBC.

Appendix: Home Charging

Autocar provides this information on home charging. Of note: (1) trickle charging is almost always going to be too slow and (2) there are no standards - different EV models require different cables!!! That is just unbelievable!

"Some do plug their car directly into a three-pin socket, but this solution is very slow, with many car manufacturers limiting the current drawn directly from a socket to just 2.3kW. This means a car with a typical 64kWh battery, such as the Kia Niro EV, can take more than 24 hours to fully charge. Bigger lithium ion batteries used in models such as the Tesla Model S or Mercedes-Benz EQS can take days. For these reasons, it's unsurprising that this method is called trickle charging."

"Most wallboxes deliver 7kW fast charging, which reduces the charging time by about half compared with 3kW units. Almost all electric cars will be able to charge at this rate, which is ideal for home use when most charging is done overnight."

"Chargers can be either tethered or untethered. A tethered unit features a permanently attached cable with either a Type 1 or Type 2 connector. It's the perfect choice if you have just one EV, because it makes for simple charging: just park up and plug in. "

"With untethered units, you use the charging cable provided with the car and it plugs into the charger at one end and the EV at the other. This is a more flexible solution, because it allows you to quickly swap between Chademo and CCS cables if, say, you run two different EV models with different connectors, such as a Nissan Leaf and a Peugeot e-208."