Sycuan Casino Resort to install EV charging stations

The Sycuan Casino Resort in El Cajon, Calif., has partnered with PowerFlex to install 45 electric vehicle charging stations and a battery energy storage system. The project includes 40 Level 2 chargers, 5 DC fast chargers, and a 250 kilowatt/560 kilowatt-hour battery energy storage system.

This project supports California's goals of achieving 5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030 and 250,000 electric vehicle charging stations by 2025. It is estimated to deliver approximately 490,000 electric miles, equivalent to saving 22,000 gallons of gas each year and  avoiding 431,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

To complete this project, Sycuan partnered with PowerFlex, a national provider of intelligent onsite clean energy solutions. The EV chargers are integrated into a network that uses PowerFlex's adaptive load management technology—software that dynamically balances the total system load by controlling the output of individual chargers in real-time to mitigate peak energy spikes. By using ALM, the project can accommodate a greater number of chargers than could otherwise be supported by the existing utility infrastructure. Through this project, Sycuan is helping achieve California's rapid transition to electric vehicles without overtaxing the grid.

The BESS and EV charging stations are managed and co-optimized by PowerFlex X, software and hardware that provides real-time insights and intelligent control over the onsite energy systems. By integrating the battery energy storage system with the DCFCs, Sycuan can avoid high demand charges from the surge in electricity consumption that fast chargers bring. The BESS can further reduce costs and carbon emissions by powering the chargers with cheaper energy stored in the battery instead of expensive on-peak grid power.

"We are very excited to partner with PowerFlex to provide our guests with additional EV charging options at our casino resort," Sycuan Casino Resort GM Rob Cinelli said in a statement. "As we continue to see more and more people adopt this technology, it was important for us to stay ahead of the curve and provide this free amenity for our guests and team members. We remain committed in finding ways to help reduce our environmental impact and in the future, we have plans to install additional charging stations enterprise-wide."

This project is the latest sustainable step the organization has taken. In 2008, Sycuan formed the Sycuan Green Team to educate and promote their mission to reduce, reuse and recycle. Over the years, The Sycuan Green Team has hosted Earth Day events, organized E-Waste collection drives and partnered with local nonprofit I Love a Clean San Diego for several cleanup events throughout the San Diego community. Additionally, Sycuan actively works with a recycling company to divert as much of its waste stream as possible to reduce the impact on the environment.