Executive Summary: April 29th AEG San Antonio Truck Electrification / Grid Optimization Dinner
Overview
Held on April 29th, 2026 at the Thompson Hotel in San Antonio, thirty-seven public and private industry leaders convened for the AEG San Antonio 26Q2 Truck Electrification / Grid Optimization Dinner. The purpose of this convening was to: 1.) Present the AEG San Antonio 25Q2 Task Force’s first 90-day milestone; 2.) Align on the next 90-day sprint to overcome a critical obstacle regarding truck electrification and grid optimization.
H.G. Chissell, Founder & CEO, Advanced Energy Group, and Aron Bowman, President, ELM Microgrid & ELM Solar, provided opening remarks to frame the discussion surrounding truck electrification and grid optimization for San Antonio.
Task Force Summary & 90-Day Sprint Accomplishments
The AEG San Antonio 25Q2 Task Force, formed in October 2025, has successfully formalized a cross-sector coalition of utilities, planners, and fleet stakeholders to remove practical barriers to electrification. Over the last sprint, the group built a robust GIS data foundation that layers health impacts with infrastructure readiness, ultimately selecting the Brooks Innovation Zone as the primary near-term pilot location. This data-driven approach has narrowed site priorities to 4-5 candidate locations across various use cases to move from interest to action.
Click here to view the AEG San Antonio 25Q4 Task Force’s GIS Map.
15 leaders volunteered to advance the Task Force’s work and complete the next 90-day sprint.
Task Force Volunteers: Michael Hottinger, Harbinger, Brady McNall, DNV, Dave Tamayo, SMUD, Mary Jo Nye, Integral Analytics, Inc, Lora Anguay, SMUD, Steve Weiner, ChargePoint, Geoffrey Urbach, City of San Antonio, Mike Hemingson, CPS Energy, Bethany Ruhe, Bloom Advisory Partners, Rob Kerth, SMUD, Joyce Deuley, Team b. Strategy, Tunde Gbtosho, Motive Power and NPUC, Omar Riahi, Percepta, Kenneth Anshewitz, Utilyze, Richard Osuch, My EV Charger
To join this group of volunteers, please contact us at info@goadvancedenergy.com.
Proposed Next Steps
Participants were tasked with answering: “Regarding Truck Electrification & Grid Optimization, what is critical to collectively address over the next 90 days - for San Antonio and beyond?” The following next steps combine official Task Force milestones with strategic suggestions from the dinner:
Strategic Pilot Development (The "First Mover" Path): The Task Force will finalize GIS prioritization to pinpoint 4-5 candidate pilot locations while moving into implementation planning. Participants suggested accelerating this by identifying "first mover" school and private fleet champions within a 30-to-60-day engagement window.
Stakeholder & Infrastructure Alignment: A primary Task Force milestone is securing at least one fleet Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to anchor the initial pilot deployment. To support this, participants suggested obtaining declared support from six critical stakeholders—including CPS Energy and VIA—while collaborating with the City on grid capacity transparency.
The Human Element: Driver Advocacy: The Task Force plans to broaden public engagement and finalize deployment details as it moves into the implementation phase. Participants recommended bolstering this by capturing testimonials from current electric truck drivers to address technical fears and mitigate resistance among local diesel operators.
Conclusion
The AEG San Antonio 26Q2 Truck Electrification / Grid Optimization Dinner convened municipal leadership, utility operators, and private industry to confront the practical barriers slowing zero-emission commercial transportation. The focus centered on leveraging a cross-sector coalition and GIS data mapping to identify high-impact pilot locations where electrification delivers the greatest operational and public benefit. As stakeholders advance 90-day sprints—focused on securing support from six critical partners and identifying "first mover" fleet champions—this effort establishes a clear pathway for San Antonio to optimize grid infrastructure while advancing economic resiliency and community health.
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Appendix:
Participants were tasked with answering this question: “Regarding Truck Electrification & Grid Optimization, what is critical to collectively address over the next 90 days - for San Antonio and beyond? Why?”
“We need to ensure that we get the voice of the customer from the truckers that currently drive the electric trucks and enjoy it in other areas. We anticipate resistance from the drivers which happened already. These can help move the current diesel drivers to closer to understanding. Giving the benefits of electric trucks vs diesel. This can help touch the hearts and avert their fears.” - Table 5
“Explore 2 parallel paths to identify a "first mover" pilot in the corridor: 1) public sector - identify schools with existing grant applications to find a champion and help them execute; 2) private sector - start at the infrastructure points and talk to private fleets to determine if any are prepared or planning to electrify; Identify 30 days, engage for 60 days” - Table 4
“Present 6 critical stakeholders for declared support (commercial partner, public transit - VIA, CPS, city of San Antonio, Brooks City Base, tech block)” - Table 1
“Bring in the city / CPS / other stakeholders to help them understand the infrastructure in the area but also how they can use information to utilize what’s there now & plan into the future.” - Table 6