“What If the Cheapest Site Didn’t Have the Power?”

The Tradeoff That Isn’t

A growing EV fleet operator found the perfect site: affordable lease terms, plenty of space for charging infrastructure, great access to major highways. There was just one problem: the utility couldn’t deliver the full 5 MW they needed.

At first glance, that made the site a non-starter. But with a new approach to interconnection—flexible, not binary—the project turned from impossible to optimal.

1. The Old Playbook Doesn’t Work Anymore

For most EV operators, the first filter in site selection is power availability. It’s no surprise: if your trucks can’t charge, your depot can’t run.

But that logic is based on an outdated assumption: that utility service is either fully available or not usable. That assumption is breaking down in today’s grid-constrained reality.

Many ideal sites, especially those in low-cost industrial zones, have some utility service available, but not enough to meet total peak demand. And yet, they’re often passed over because the grid’s nameplate capacity doesn’t match the spreadsheet’s target.

2. Reframing the Problem: Don’t Ask “Can I Get 5 MW?”

In this case, the utility was only willing to guarantee 5 MW for 5,700 hours of the first 18 months. For an EV operator needing up to 5 MW at peak charging times, that sounded like a dealbreaker.

But here’s the reality:

• EV fleet charging is inherently flexible. Trucks return on a schedule, not all at once.

• Charging loads are not flat. They spike for a few hours, then coast.

• Storage can smooth demand. Energy can be pre-loaded when capacity is available, then dispatched when it isn’t.

So the right question isn’t “Can I get 5 MW?”It’s “Can I get 5 MW of service over time, with the right tools to manage it?”

3. Turning the Site Back On

By deploying a UL 3141-compliant Power Control System and 3 MW of battery storage, the operator was able to:

• Limit grid draw to 2 MW, as permitted by the utility.

• Pre-charge batteries during off-peak hours.

• Discharge batteries during charging peaks between 4–9 p.m.

• Avoid site curtailment, and run full operations on schedule.

The cost of storage was a fraction of what it would have cost to:

• Wait 18–24 months for utility upgrades

• Pay 50–100% more per square foot at a grid-ready site

• Miss out on fleet revenue from the delayed site launch

The result?The operator secured a cheaper site, earlier revenue, and full control over their capacity.

4. The Big Shift: Power Is No Longer the Bottleneck

When you stop treating utility power as the only input, the economics of site selection change. Suddenly:

• Lower-cost sites with partial grid access become viable.

• The value of flexibility exceeds the value of nameplate capacity.

• Real estate savings can fund the onsite systems needed to make it work.

Storage isn’t a backup plan, it’s a primary tool in making constrained sites operable, sooner and more affordably.

Conclusion: Let the Real Estate Lead, Not the Transformer

There are thousands of low-cost, well-located properties sitting idle on site maps because the power “isn’t there.” But in many cases, enough power is there if you know how to use it.

Critical Loop helps EV operators and developers:

• Take constrained sites off the bench,

• Make smart use of partial utility delivery,

• And energize projects faster, cheaper, and with greater long-term control.

Power is no longer the gatekeeper. Power control and flexibility is. Smart acquisition teams know the difference.