UK Power Networks has launched Blue Light, a digital tool developed in collaboration with the emergency services as they transition to green fleets.
The tool aims to help police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services as they transition to electric fleets, with the need to balance decarbonisation with the operational demands of frontline service delivery, and the management of large and complex estates.
Fleet managers told UK Power Networks they needed a clear understanding of how much electric vehicle charging their sites could accommodate and how different electrification approaches would affect their operations.
They also wanted visibility of potential costs, delivery timescales and practical ways to maintain operational resilience throughout the transition.
A trial has now been launched for 999 services to access a tool which will provide early visibility of the electrical capacity at their sites and the potential impact of EV charging.
By providing insight at the earliest stages, it aims to help organisations explore options for their sites with greater confidence, improving resilience and enabling more informed conversations about investment, infrastructure and future network connections.
The team behind the tool will continue to gather valuable feedback from users to inform its next phase of development, ensuring it reflects the operational needs of customers, it added.
Luca Grella, head of innovation at UK Power Networks, said:
“The tool will help emergency services plan the most operationally effective and cost-efficient route to transition their fleets to clean transport. We’ve worked closely with emergency services throughout to make sure the tool reflects the realities they face every day, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see that collaboration take shape in a practical, working solution.”
Martin Fitzjohn, strategic commercial solution manager at Police 7 Force Commercial Services, said:
“We’re excited to be working with UK Power Networks on collaborative tools, such as the Blue Light project, enabling emergency services to understand energy constraints and potential resolutions and plan decarbonisation strategies appropriately.”
Image courtesy of UK Power Networks
