PowerSouth Electric Cooperative has announced a partnership with electric vehicle charging platform Optiwatt and it could pay off for EV owners. Optiwatt and 14 of PowerSouth’s distribution member systems invite EV owners across South Alabama and Northwest Florida to participate in the Electric Vehicle Research Pilot. The EV owners can receive a $25 reward. The Electric Vehicle Research Pilot will analyze EV charging trends to prepare the South’s electricity infrastructure for the expected load from electric vehicle charging. It aims to prepare U.S. electricity grids for increasing EV adoption, which will grow exponentially in the next few years and put local utilities providers under stress due to heightened charging demand.