Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association made an equity investment in ZEF Energy as part of a broader set of initiatives to promote the adoption of electric vehicles.

As a result of the investment, Wright-Hennepin will be allowed to appoint a director to the board of ZEF, which operates a DC fast-charging network for electric vehicles in Wisconsin and Minnesota, as well as the "ZEFNET" cloud solution software that allows utilities and consumers to view energy usage.

Wright-Hennepin is currently conducting a pilot study with ZEFNET-enabled chargers to track how much energy members use for their electric vehicles and when, according to a Dec. 13 news release. Based on the findings, the utility said it plans to further refine its electric vehicle charging programs and use ZEF chargers to help manage the system's electric demand.