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DOE OSTI · 3363062

CalderaCast User Manual Version 1.0

Toba, Lionel [Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)] (ORCID:0000000248585269)·Schmidt, Steven Knudsen [Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)] (ORCID:0000000165590791)
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Abstract

CalderaCast is a user-friendly web-based tool for electrical-load forecast, providing stakeholders with a fully customizable decision-support framework that estimates the likely power draw from a possible future electric-vehicle (EV) charging station at a given location on a given day along an alternative fuel corridor (AFC). These EV charging profiles are accurately modeled in CalderaCast using the Caldera software framework developed by Idaho National Laboratories (INL), reflecting the realistic charging levels observed in actual charge events. This tool was developed as part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which is quickly generating substantial interest from would-be charging station operators (CSO), large and small electric utilities, and state transportation planners, some of whom had not seriously considered EV charging previously. All these entities—with or without background in EV infrastructure—must estimate the electricity load that a proposed charging station will generate. This load forecast is critically important for a utility to properly assess the capacity of their distribution network to support the proposed station or properly size grid upgrades for potential load growth due to future EV adoption, vehicle technology improvements, or station growth. This document describes each aspect of the CalderaCast tool and provides guidance to users who are interested in utilizing the tool for their work.

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24 - POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION29 - ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMYCharging StationElectric VehicleElectrical GridEnergy DeliveryGrid LoadGrid Load Forecasting

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Toba, Lionel [Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)] (ORCID:0000000248585269), Schmidt, Steven Knudsen [Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)] (ORCID:0000000165590791). 2025-08-18. CalderaCast User Manual Version 1.0. https://doi.org/10.2172/3363062

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