One method is called vehicle-to-grid integration, where energy can be reabsorbed by the grid when the vehicle is parked. Itll be a good case study to suss out any issues that might happen.. "It's a huge opportunity, so let's not lose that opportunity, lose momentum, because we don't have enough infrastructure to meet the need.". EV switchover will work only if households can charge their cars 24X7. Unlike solar and wind, which generate electricity intermittently, nuclear provides constant (baseload) energy. Among the biggest is California-based ChargePoint, with an approximately $6 billion market cap. B2U. To make the evolution to zero-emission vehicles successful, California must have a robust charging infrastructure. Even as hard as this is going to be, I have a lot of optimism that we can pull it off.. "They do have some powertrain warranty dynamics where they're replacing batteries that didn't meet certain promise specs, and there have been some pack replacement programs for some of the early vehicles like the Leaf," Hall said. Cars Electric Cars Could Save Californias Power Grid. Today, the answer to that is mostly yes. Yet if all Californians bought E.V.s tomorrow, it would be a nightmare for the state's power grid. We have confidence now that electricity will meet future demand and were able to plan for it, said Quentin Gee, a California Energy Commission supervisor who forecasts transportation energy demand. Also, the state is requiring utilities to provide more battery storage so that solar power can be preserved as the sun goes down and used later. Recall, the state had to institute rolling blackouts in 2020, well before the EV mandate that will substantially increase electricity demand. On August 26, the state of Washington followed, and about 12 additional states are expected to announce similar mandates. "As long as you have educated drivers and customerswhich is going to be a hard partthere's a lot of room for EVs to participate in this balancing act in a favorable manner.". Even so, he said he is optimistic the state can adapt over the next decade. V2H: Vehicle to home. California has about 838,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids. Turbines of Americas first offshore wind farm, owned by the Danish company, Orsted, off the coast of Block Island, R.I. on Oct. 17, 2022. V2H: Vehicle to home. California now gets 34% of its electricity from renewable energy, which has reduced smog and greenhouse gas emissions. The consequences of climate change are inequitable, and economically disadvantaged communities are going to bear the brunt of the pain. But most chargers are a lot slower: A level one charger, often supplied by manufacturers, could take between 40 to 50 hours to fully charge an empty battery. Recession Has Not Materialized but Still Could, Heres Why Intuitive Surgical Stock Is A Better Pick Over Its Peer, BNY Mellon Stock Is Trading 11% Below Its Fair Value. Even after a battery no longer meets the needs of a car, however, it can still store enough energy to be useful on the electric grid. As electric cars surge, so will demand for public chargers. Still, offshore winds potential is huge. With 15 times more electric cars expected on Californias roads by 2035, the amount of power they consume will grow exponentially. The key obstacle is probably political: local opposition to new high voltage transmission lines. Access to chargers is another piece of the puzzle on which Monahan said the CEC is "laser-focused," as is the state's Air Resources Board and the California Public Utilities Commission. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Part of the issue is that the grid might not be ready for energy to flow in the opposite direction than it normally does. Driving the news: B2U Storage Solutions' Sierra facility has reached 25MWh of solar storage capacity using second-life EV batteries from Honda and Nissan, the company announced Tuesday. Failing to provide enough power quickly enough could jeopardize Californias clean-car mandate thwarting its efforts to combat climate change and clean up its smoggy air. Not only does this technology provide power to the grid during more expensive high-demand periods, but it could also help reduce the cost of ownership of the EV. Read our affiliate link policy. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters, California Heat Wave Update as Record Temperatures Could Cause Blackouts, Traffic moves along Highway 101 on August 24, 2022 in Mill Valley, California, state regulators voted on a plan to ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. California is doubling down on electric vehicles (EVs). Ad Choices. Massive funds are required but this is probably less of an issue for the U.S. "But there has been a steady stream of those batteries becoming available. Something went wrong. Were going to have to expand the grid at a radically much faster rate, said David Victor, a professor and co-director of the Deep Decarbonization Initiative at UC San Diego. By 2032, the vehicle-to-grid are expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.6%, reaching a value of US$ 22,863 million. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images), Cyclists Now Outnumber Motorists In City Of London, COtooCLEAN Process That Recycles Flexible Plastic Back To The Shelf Instead Of The Landfill Wins $3 Million Prize, Electric Bike Battery Collection And Recycling Program Started By U.K.s Bicycle Association, Cars Not Banned In 15-Minute Cities Nor Will Bugs Be Lunch, A Tedious And Boring Analysis Of Two Items In ExxonMobils 2022 10-K, Plastic Consumption Could Nearly Double By 2050, Study Warns. To replace them, the state Public Utilities Commission has ordered utilities by 2026 to procure 11.5 gigawatts of new renewable energy resources, or enough to power 2.5 million homes. CNMN Collection The idea behind the pilot is deceptively simple: An EV owner plugs their car into a charger at home, and instead of electricity simply flowing into the cars battery, electricity can also flow out of it to provide power to buildings a concept called vehicle-to-grid, which essentially makes the car an extension of the power grid itself. At the same time as electrifying cars and trucks, California must, under state law, shift all of its power to renewables by 2045. counties.). Meeting the goals California has set in terms of electric vehicle use will require significant infrastructure investments and a recalibration of how and when vehicle owners use energy so they can avoid steep utility bills and help protect the state's power grid. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking here! To see them put time and resources into a project makes me hopeful, said Samantha Houston, a senior analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Political opposition might also be diffused via permitting changes. This is quite literally a life-or-death issue: PG&E was found responsible for sparking last years Dixie Fire, the second-largest fire in state history, and charged with manslaughter after its equipment started fires in 2018 and 2020. Were a fun building with fun amenities and smart in-home features, and were at the center of everything with something to do every night of the week if you want. Its important, Baker and Houston said, that they dont get left behind. Weve got kegerator space; weve got a retractable awning because (its the best kept secret) Seattle actually gets a lot of sun; weve got a mini-fridge to chill that ros; weve got BBQ grills, fire pits, and even Belgian heaters. Powering the vehicles means the state must triple the amount of electricity produced and deploy new solar and wind energy at almost five times the pace of the past decade. There are more than half a million E.V.s in California, the most of any state. Communities oppose transmission lines because they fear that lines and towers will disrupt the landscape and hurt property values. Securing the stability of the grid also requires a huge investment in energy storage, which can help provide energy during peak demand times. Benefits for the energy grid: V2G technology can help About 150,000 electric vehicles were sold in California in 2018 8 percent of all state car sales. TOPSHOT - A driver charges his electric vehicle at a charging station as the California Independent [+] System Operator announced a statewide electricity Flex Alert urging conservation to avoid blackouts in Monterey Park, California on August 31, 2022. "Today, EVs are disproportionately driven by homeowners," Moniot said. Electrifying all new cars in California could be an immense burden on the states struggling power grid -- or a whole new line of defense against blackouts. A collaboration between GM and PG&E will test-drive powering homes with EV batteries during blackouts. "California recently ruled to ban gas powered cars by 2035 but just put out a warning to 'avoid charging electric vehicles' due to power grid issues and blackouts," The Hodgetwinsconservative comedians Keith and Kevin Hodgewrote in a tweet. Bidirectional power on a large scale hasnt really been performed yet, said Kyri Baker, an assistant professor of engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. Californias target to build at least 6 gigawatts of solar and wind energy and battery storage a year for the next 25 years is daunting, given that in the past decade, its built on average just 1 gigawatt of utility solar and 0.3 gigawatt of wind per year. "We're in the early days of the end-of-life EV batteries being available," Hall said. About two-thirds of U.S. solar capacity and 99% of wind capacity is utility-scale, located outside big cities, the major consumption centers. Should governments ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply before they mandate a switch to EVs? "I'm confident that a mix of public-private investments can set us on course to be able to meet these goals," she added. Not a month ago, they learned that the state will ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035, mandating that all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the state must be electric vehicles (EVs). Vehicle-grid integration (VGI) refers to technologies, policies, and strategies for electric vehicle (EV) charging which alter the time, power level, or location of the charging (or discharging) in a manner that benefits the grid while still meeting drivers mobility needs. Californias power grid operators have asked the states residents to conserve electricity in order to put less strain on the power grid amid a major heat wave. I think probably the next step is to ask how do we make the transition to electric vehicles more equitable? Baker said. The system must be able to move zero emission electricity from generation sites to consumption centers where most EV owners tend to be located. WIRED Media Group Lea este artculo en espaol. Thats why California needs a robust clean energy deployment plan and to assign a lead agency rather than relying on piecemeal strategies, he said. The assessment also found that in 2030, electricity consumption from passenger EV charging could reach about 5,500 megawatts (MW) around midnight and 4,600 MW around 10 a.m. on a typical weekday, increasing electricity demand by up to 2025 percent at those times. The California Public Utilities Commission in 2015 ordered states investor-owned utilities San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric to transition its residential customers to rate plans that offer lower pricing during off-peak hours. To meet these goals, the lead commissioner on clean transportation at the California Energy Commission (CEC), Patty Monahan, estimated 8 million electric cars You used to pay for social media with your eyeballs. Join the Ars Orbital Transmission mailing list to get weekly updates delivered to your inbox. Its one thing to be able to afford an EV, and its another thing to be able to afford the extra equipment.. Discover how the digital world is changing and changing us with Recodes weekly newsletter. Other keyrecommendationsfrom the reportinclude: For details on the report, view the full reportand executive summary. Sacramento, CA 95814, Contact Us | DirectionsLanguage Services Mostly, private companies are responsible for installing them, although state grants help. She said many disadvantaged communities across the state bear the brunt of impacts of pollution from fossil fuels and climate changes extreme heat. The CEC is in charge of evaluating California's energy needs and has been tasked with identifying what kinds of investments will be necessary in order to meet Newsom's 2035 deadline. Newsom's latest budget proposal includes $1.5 billion for electric vehicle infrastructure. Rajit Gadh, director of UCLAs Smart Grid Energy Research Center, said challenges exist. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images). Planning them, obtaining an array of permits and construction could take at least seven to eight years. Toddlers could run a state more competently than Democrats.". The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Winds off the coast are also strongest in the late afternoon and evening, which is exactly when particularly in the summer electricity demand surges. In summary. "If every car has to be electric, we really need to have solutions for individuals that don't have this more reliable parking situation at night," Moniot said. As with many of the problems related to energy and electric vehicles, its a matter of time, education, awareness and incentives, Gadh said. Please enter a valid email and try again. This new technology wont be cheap. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The juxtaposition of the mandate and the grid crisis sparked widespread skepticism: How can the state require Californians to buy electric cars if the grid couldnt even supply enough power to make it through the summer? My thoughts: We can see the terrible impact of climate change from droughts and rampaging wildfires in western states to increasingly frequent tropical storms and hurricanes in coastal and eastern states, as well as freak storms such as the hurricane-force derecho that tore through Iowa in August. Garamendi: Congress must require change to avoid more rail disasters, Southern California mountain residents head home, for many its the first time in days, At least 26 killed in fiery train crash in Greece. WebConsumers from Texas to Michigan to California know the U.S. electrical grid is in terrible shape, with aging infrastructure, inadequate capacity for the coming influx of electric cars needing charging and an increasingly dysfunctional response to You can also contribute via, By submitting your email, you agree to our, California wants to use electric cars to back up the power grid, This story is part of a group of stories called, Sign up for the California Energy Commission So far, the only projects that exist in California are for buses. In the past three years, the pace sped up, with more than 4 gigawatts added annually, state data shows. Many current electric vehicle owners who are used to charging their vehicles overnight may need to shift their charging behaviors to optimize daylight hours, when more energy generated by solar and wind is accessible. He started his journalism career as a sports editor in Iowa in 1975. Even Germany is contemplating extending the lives of its nuclear reactors, although in 2011 it had announced their closure. Shares of First Solar are up more than 55% year-to-date, and up 25% over the past 30 days alone. To encourage daytime charging, Victor said the state must drastically boost the number of fast chargers and workplace stations. An important factor is that gas pipelines basically require an approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, while electricity lines need to be approved by federal, state, and local authorities. After the Maine Supreme Court overturned the referendum, the case is back in the lower court. Building over a million chargers by 2030 is ambitious, but its also an opportunity to create good jobs and showcase Californias can-do spirit, said CEC Commissioner Patty Monahan. Develop a giant new industry: State officials predict that offshore wind farms will provide enough power for about 1.5 million homes by 2030 and 25 million homes by 2045. The federal government has established a $6 billion program to help avoid premature retirements of nuclear reactors across the country. Bill Gates Terra Power is working on a new Natrium design which can reduce the costs of nuclear energy. BMW IX5 Hydrogen First Drive: The Car H2 Has Been Waiting For? Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg, Chairman Says Wix To Accelerate To 20% Profitable Growth By 2025, 11 Timeless Lessons From Warren Buffetts Annual Letter Feb 25, 2023. As renewable energy sources alleviate some of the pressure on California's power grid, an increasing number of electric vehicles on the road will add pressure back on. The broken Twitter everyone warned us about is finally here. Thereport notes that theCalifornia Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project(CALeVIP), the states incentive program for EV chargers, is oversubscribed by hundreds of millions of dollars, demonstrating strong market and consumer demand for public funding. This can reduce the need for fossil fuel-powered peaker plants, which are used to meet sudden spikes in electricity demand. In addition to Newsom's suggested spending, Monahan said there also appears to be "appetite" within the state legislature to support the push for electric vehicles. One might ask: why is the US able to quickly build gas pipelines but not high voltage transmission lines? Prioritizingestablishing commonconnector and communication standardsfor hardware and software. CLAIM: California asked residents "to avoid charging electric cars amid power grid strain." AP'S ASSESSMENT: Missing context. The headline being shared was from a June 2021 heat wave not mid-March 2022 and was a voluntary recommendation that residents charge electric vehicles and do other activities outside of certain peak periods. The most basic version of this idea entails temporarily cutting off a house from the power grid during a blackout so that the car can provide backup power; at a more advanced level, a collection of EVs working together can act like a large backup battery for the grid at large. Concerns about the grid are quite a big deal for us, he said. The construction of the North Sea Super Grid is the major step towards meetingthe future demand for electric power transmission in northern Europe. Critics say more plug-in cars will strain the power grid. For PG&E customers, charging an electric vehicle when rates are lowest between midnight and 3 p.m. is roughly equivalent to paying about $2 for a gallon of gas, Doherty said. Utilities will have to sway them with cheaper rates and other incentives for it to work. To work in a car, the batteries need to be able to meet certain standards in terms of capacity and rate of discharge, but that performance declines with use. Networks set up in homes and parking lots are used to distribute electricity produced by different sources. Prior to that he was an assistant sports editor at the paper from 1984-1987. For eight successive days, Californias independent grid operator (Cal ISO), the body that manages the transmission grid, has issued Flex Alerts asking households to voluntarily reduce power use, including not charging EVs between 4:00-9:00 pm. Under a groundbreaking new state regulation, 35% of new 2026 car models sold in California must be zero-emissions, ramping up to 100% in 2035. The two groups project nationwide solar deployment to increase by as much as 40% over the next five years (2023 2027), even as the industry will remain supply-constrained through the end of 2023. These time-of-use rates have been a highly successful strategy, Doherty said. Youre absolutely right that we need a long-term strategy for making sure we can get through the peaks with clean resources, he told legislators. "These batteries work very well," Hall told Ars. During the day, the Lancaster, Calif. facility's batteries are charged up by nearby solar panels. With 15 times more electric cars expected on Californias roads by 2035, the amount of power they consume will grow exponentially. "California plans on using rates to help drive the charging behaviors that are going to help the state electrify transportation while cutting carbon from the grid and saving ratepayers and drivers money," she told Newsweek. In sum, the electrification of the automobile sector is an important step to addressing the climate challenge. California Power Generation and Power Sources, Assembly Bill (AB) 2127 Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Assessment, California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project, vehicle-grid integration (VGI) technology, Zero-Emission Vehicle and Charger Statistics Dashboard, Energy Commission Approves Plan to Invest Up to $115 Million for Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure, Energy Commission Announces Nations First Incentive Project for Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Infrastructure, Report Shows California Needs 1.2 Million Electric Vehicle Chargers by 2030, Ensuringequitable charger deployment throughout the state through targeted public investments.. Oops. Right now, the only vehicle available with bidirectional charging is the Nissan LEAF. California has about 838,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids. - Feb 21, 2023 7:03 pm UTC. During a power outage, electrical devices in homes or businesses can be powered by the energy stored in an electric vehicle. Ive seen a bit of caution approaching these things because batteries on wheels are not something utilities have really worked on before.. The CIGRE B4 DC Grid Test System. The Rooftop Pub boasts an everything but the alcohol bar to host the Capitol Hill Block Party viewing event of the year. Convince drivers to charge their cars during off-peak hours: With new discounted rates, utilities are urging residents to avoid charging their cars between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. That brings me back to the states (and countrys) energy grid. Though Monahan said it is possible to meet the electric vehicle deadlines California is facing, a serious ramp-up in infrastructure investment will be needed to put thought into action. This buildout should benefit not only solar panel manufacturers but also the companies that supply the metals and other materialssilver and copper in particular. Uncovering and explaining how our digital world is changing and changing us. Not anymore. U.S. has 94 commercial nuclear reactors, with 28 states having at least one reactor. In a Baptist-Bootlegger alliance, climate groups could even team up with the nuclear industry in this regard. I see this as a huge opportunity for electric vehicle charging infrastructure companies. At the San Diego Naval base, ships were disconnected from their port-based power connections and asked to sail out to sea. Thats well above the median U.S. ratio of 14 EVs per port. On August 25, California announced a ban on the sale of new gasoline vehicles by 2035. Driving the news: B2U Storage Solutions' Sierra facility has reached 25MWh of solar storage capacity using second-life EV batteries from Honda and Nissan, the company announced Tuesday. Alex Breckel of the Clean Air Task Force, an environmental advocacy group, said the states clean-power goals are achievable. More than 73,000 public and shared chargers have been installed to date, with an additional 123,000 planned by 2025. But experts say GMs size and electric vehicle ambitions mean its pilot with PG&E has the potential to be a big deal, and could be the first real test case of the vehicle-to-grid idea. Your California Privacy Rights | Do Not Sell My Personal Information What will happen in 2035 when many more EVs need to be charged, potentially during another heatwave? When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Offshore wind farms offer the promise of a lot of clean energy at the time of day and season when we need it most, Stern said. "California Asks Residents to Avoid Charging Electric Cars Amid Power Grid Strain," reads the headline shared on Facebook in recent days, as gas prices in the country Assemblymember Luz Rivas, a Democrat from the San Fernando Valley, said low-income communities near the gas plants will continue to suffer the most if the state keeps extending their retirement dates. Current offshore wind turbines off the East Coast are fixed to the ocean floor in shallow waters. The technology is still in the early stages, has not been tested with other electric vehicles and its unclear when it will be ready. But with climate change hammering the aging American power grid, the PG&E pilot is a sign that utilities are starting to think creatively about potential solutions. Then, in a dizzying about-face, residents were asked not to charge their EVs to conserve energy as Californias electrical grid was pushed to the limit due to a punishing heatwave. Roadshow. If we just take a laissez-faire approach with the market, then we will not get there, said Sascha von Meier, a retired UC Berkeley electrical engineering professor who specializes in power grids. But we hope you decide to come check us out. But in May 2022, Californias governor Newsom began making a case to keep Diablo open. Conditions apply. The goal is 250,000 by 2025. Californias numerous Flex Alerts remind us that policy initiatives, such as permitting reforms and supporting nuclear energy, both historically unpopular with climate groups, might be required to relieve supply bottlenecks in generation and transmission. Millions turn to Vox to educate themselves, their family, and their friends about whats happening in the world around them, and to learn about things that spark their curiosity. Despite her concerns about timing, Monahan said support of the push for electric vehicles so far from both the state government and the Biden administration is a promising sign. The ability for drivers to be flexible with when and how they charge their vehicles is another reason Moniot said widespread access to chargers will be crucial. The projects could provide enough energy to supply power to 1.6 million homes, according to a White House fact sheet. (Photo by Frederic J. On September 1, the state legislature agreed to provide a loan of $1.4 billion to PG&E to keep Diablo working until 2030. Before continuing, I should point out how massive Californias decision is to move to 100% EVs 13 years from now. This led to a surge in electricity demand, creating the possibility of widespread rolling blackouts. Please consider making a one-time contribution to Vox today. How might this opposition be addressed? Below we highlight two challenges to EV mandates: creating new transmission capacity and hesitancy about nuclear power (for charging stations, a third bottleneck in the EV rollout, see here). SACRAMENTO New analysis from the California Energy Commission (CEC) shows the state will need nearly 1.2 million public and shared chargers by 2030 to meet Installing the massive turbines with blades bigger than a football field and constructing transmission lines and an onshore production plant would take another two to three years, Stern said. Want more? Here are some insightful pieces of information about V2G: Overall, V2G technology has the potential to transform the way we consume and generate energy, and to provide a range of benefits for the environment, EV owners, and the energy grid.