PG&E, which is based in San Francisco, serves a territory thats a fertile testing ground for vehicle-to-grid technology. 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. Can Californias power grid handle all these, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Can Californias power grid handle all these electric cars? According to the companys June presentation, 52% of Fortune 500 companies use ChargePoint solutions, including its hardware, subscription software and other services. Recall, the state had to institute rolling blackouts in 2020, well before the EV mandate that will substantially increase electricity demand. And by 2045, solar and wind combined must quadruple, according to the California Energy Commission. The sheer heft of the Golden States auto market means that carmakers will need to ramp up their gas-to-electric transition plans, especially if more states and countries follow Californias lead and implement their own combustion engine bans, which I believe is all but guaranteed. 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. California has about 838,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids. We need to bridge the gap in electric vehicle charging or we wont meet our goals for zeroing out harmful pollution from transportation. Officials are asking companies to switch production hours and use generators, which often work on diesel. Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. Some on social media pointed out that conflicting messages were being sent to Californians. 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. That's 915 million oil barrels' worth of emissions that won't pollute our communities. People can still keep and drive their existing gasoline cars, pickups, minivans and SUVs, and can buy and sell used ones. Planning and permitting is very urgent, she said. B2U. The California Air Resources Board in late May mapped out additional requirements for ride-hailing companies, which must use electric vehicles for at least 90% of all miles driven by 2030. At the San Diego Naval base, ships were disconnected from their port-based power connections and asked to sail out to sea. This is plausible if the right policies are in place, but its not guaranteed. More than a million new charging stations must be operating. Download Free PDF Sample: http://bit.ly/3IHAOK7. 170. As with many of the problems related to energy and electric vehicles, its a matter of time, education, awareness and incentives, Gadh said. No more vacant rooftops and lifeless lounges not here in Capitol Hill. 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. And the higher costs should be factored in when policymakers make a case for decarbonization. California will soon lose major sources of electricity: the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and at least four coastal natural gas plants. Political opposition might also be diffused via permitting changes. Youll love it here, we promise. Despite expecting 12.5 million electric cars by 2035, California officials insist that the grid can provide enough electricity. This is a BETA experience. Engineering. They may be able to buy a new gas-powered vehicle out of state, although chances are high that other states and the nation as a whole may pass similar laws, the way that Canada, England, Germany, France, Israel, India and other countries have.. By 2032, the vehicle-to-grid are expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.6%, reaching a value of US$ 22,863 million. Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Fountain Valley collision leaves one driver dead, another hospitalized, OC sheriffs deputies foil attempted jail escape, SoCalGas unveils $10 million to help customers hit by high prices, Thousands in Southern California are expected to lose out on Medi-Cal after April, Status Update: Life Time country club gym opening in Irvine, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. Many experts believe that electric vehicles won't be a drag on America's electric grid. Instead, they'll be a benefit. By leveraging an EVs battery capacity to provide power back to the grid when demand is high, EVs can improve our grid's resilience. "Can the grid survive without EVs?" says Allen. "But there has been a steady stream of those batteries becoming available. 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. B2U. Many Californians right now are no doubt feeling the whipsaws of conflicting government policies. One solution is to make sure that new EVs are equipped with bidirectional chargers. In a news release, the California ISO said it expects that it will issue calls for voluntary conservation of electricity through Flex alerts over the long weekend. 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). I certainly think that utilities, given their scale, could go further faster if they wanted to, Houston told Recode. According to researcher Matthew Moniot of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), making sure all California residents have access to electric vehicle infrastructure will be a "huge issue" as the state continues its push toward electric vehicle adoption. With our mission set, Im committed to keep our state marching toward a greener future, said Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee and author of AB 2127. Its too early to say how many chargers will be needed statewide in 2035 for Gov. The states next big solar project, named Project Nexus, will see miles of solar panel canopies covering sections of the Turlock Irrigation Districts irrigation canals. To speed clean energy projects, Newsom and the Legislature enacted a controversial new law allowing state agencies to usurp control from local governments for siting solar, wind and some battery backup projects. That sounds promising, but the state is hinging its hopes on an emerging sector that doesnt yet exist in California and vast regulatory and technological hurdles lie ahead. To encourage daytime charging, Victor said the state must drastically boost the number of fast chargers and workplace stations. These deep ocean waters have the potential to produce more than 4.5 gigawatts, enough to power about 1.5 million homes. This means that political optics are important especially for signature liberal issue such as EVs. With 15 times more electric cars expected on Californias roads by 2035, the amount of power they consume will grow exponentially. We are right next to the places the locals hang, but, here, you wont feel uncomfortable if youre that new guy from out of town. Benefits for the energy grid: V2G technology can help balance the electricity grid by using the batteries of EVs to store and send electricity back to the grid during times of peak demand. By 2030, about 1.2 million chargers will be needed for 8 million vehicles, according to a state report. These time-of-use rates have been a highly successful strategy, Doherty said. Will you support Voxs explanatory journalism? 2023 Cond Nast. I see this as a huge opportunity for electric vehicle charging infrastructure companies. Published 1 October 2013. Temperatures as high as 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius) were forecast in some Los Angeles suburbs as a huge heat dome bakes a swathe of the western United States. This new technology wont be cheap. "You want to make sure that you're balancing the amount of energy that comes onto the grid versus the energy that's coming off the grid," Moniot said. 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. - Feb 21, 2023 7:03 pm UTC. Newsom hopes to add between 2 to 5 gigawatts of offshore wind off Californias coasts by 2030. And, by working with battery OEMs, B2U is getting access to a number of batteries that never spent much time in cars. That could supply electricity for 25 million homes. "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.". "If you don't have a home charger or a workplace charger, then you can't participate in this flexibility game as much as those who have ubiquitous access to infrastructure," Moniot said. 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. But newer models like the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 will have that ability, said Bill Powers, a San Diego engineer who plans to go off the grid with the help of an electric car. System Operator announced a statewide electricity Flex Alert urging conservation to avoid blackouts in Monterey Park, California on August 31, 2022. 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). Even Germany is contemplating extending the lives of its nuclear reactors, although in 2011 it had announced their closure. This can reduce the need for fossil fuel-powered peaker plants, which are used to meet sudden spikes in electricity demand. The goal will require a big shift for California drivers, more than 85% of whom were still driving gas- and diesel-powered vehicles in 2019, according to the California New Car Dealers Association's California Auto Outlook. (California also continues to have the nations worst air quality, ostensibly a major reason for the aggressive action against emissions. You dont know #Jack yet. The goal is 250,000 by 2025. 715 P Street The system must be able to move zero emission electricity from generation sites to consumption centers where most EV owners tend to be located. With 15 times more electric cars expected on Californias roads by 2035, the amount of power they consume will grow exponentially. Social media used to be free. California's power operator wants residents to avoid charging electric vehicles at certain hours through Labor Day to ease the stress on the power grid amid extreme heat and high demand. Its when we have those peak hours during those tough months.. After the Maine Supreme Court overturned the referendum, the case is back in the lower court. The Air Resources Board enacted the mandate last August and just six days later, Californias power grid was so taxed by heat waves that an unprecedented, 10-day emergency alert warned residents to cut electricity use or face outages. The implication is that undergrounding transmission lines might become a political necessity, a payment for the social license to construct new transmission lines. The Navy has not been spared either. California has about 838,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids. But the California Energy Commission says it will remain a small fraction of all the power used during peak hours jumping from 1% in 2022 to 5% in 2030 and 10% in 2035. Ive seen a bit of caution approaching these things because batteries on wheels are not something utilities have really worked on before.. 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. 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. Networks set up in homes and parking lots are used to distribute electricity produced by different sources. It all However, with the impending mid-term November elections and efforts by former President Trump to return to active politics, everything is controversial. Californians may need to take measures to conserve energy, including by avoiding charging electric vehicles, to prevent strain to the state's power grid over the Currently, about 80,000 public chargers operate statewide, with another estimated 17,000 on the way, according to state data. Your answer is absolutely not appropriateIts very concerning.. H. Saad. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki is stepping down. Siva Gunda, a member of the California Energy Commission, acknowledged that the state needs to do better to make sure we are on course to retire the fossil-fuel generation and not burdening communities.. Bidirectional charging power flowing out of a car battery as well as into it has been part of Fords marketing for its electric F-150 lightning since the truck was announced in May 2021, and PG&E previously worked with BMW to test ways EVs could support the grid. Technological challenges: Despite its potential benefits, V2G technology faces some technological challenges, including the need to develop new standards and protocols for communication between EVs and the grid, and the need for new charging infrastructure. Sign up here so you dont miss the next one! 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. Ting expressed frustration that state leaders were going backwards by extending the lifespan of Diablo Canyon to 2030 and some fossil fuel plants. "We're in the early days of the end-of-life EV batteries being available," Hall said. Thank U, Next. Itll be a good case study to suss out any issues that might happen.. newsletter. Hundreds of offshore wind developers and experts gathered in Rhode Island to talk about the future of clean energy how to grow the offshore wind industry and address shared challenges. Power connections, communication systems, and metering systems are the bare minimum needs for Vehicle to Grid. V2X: Vehicle to everything. Incentives for fast chargers regularly sell out minutes after applications open. Electric vehicles can connect with various grids thanks to a technology called "vehicle-to-grid." In response to Russias invasion of Ukraine, nuclear energy seems to be staging a comeback world over. The aerial view of a solar farm in Simi Valley is photographed in California. It was just last week that the California Air Resources Board approved regulations that would likely result in electric cars eventually being the only viable option in the state. Its a huge challenge, Stern said. Readers share theirs: Roadshow, Why should I have to take the DMV knowledge test just because of my age? 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. 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. Whats more, owners are able to schedule when they need their car to be fully charged. Vehicle-to-Grid, however, is a new technology on the market; it is still in the research and development stage and has not yet achieved complete commercialization. Current offshore wind turbines off the East Coast are fixed to the ocean floor in shallow waters. During the day, the Lancaster, Calif. facility's batteries are charged up by nearby solar panels. California has one of the cleanest grids in the country, with more than 15,000 megawatts of installed solar capacity. State officials claim that the 12.5 million electric vehicles expected on Californias roads in 2035will not strain the grid. By 2030, about 1.2 million chargers will be needed for 8 million vehicles, according to a state report. U.S. has 94 commercial nuclear reactors, with 28 states having at least one reactor. "That is a big focus of ours as a state: supporting the storage technologies that we will need in addition to the generation technologies, like offshore wind," Monahan told Newsweek. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. 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 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 the fueling demands of the 7.5 million passenger plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) anticipated to be on California roads. California has reaffirmed its commitment to banning gasoline-powered cars and requiring all new sales to be of electric cars in coming years. During the day, the Lancaster, Calif. facility's batteries are charged up by nearby solar panels. On August 25, California announced a ban on the sale of new gasoline vehicles by 2035. 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. But not all state leaders are convinced that discounts alone will convince electric car owners to lay off charging in evenings. Even so, he said he is optimistic the state can adapt over the next decade. "Market disruptions like this are slowuntil they're not," he said. 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 One might ask: why is the US able to quickly build gas pipelines but not high voltage transmission lines? Expand vehicle-to-grid technology: State officials hope electric cars will send energy back to the grid when electricity is in high demand, but the technology is new and has not been tested in electric cars. Play DJ at our booth, get a karaoke machine, watch all of the sportsball from our huge TV were a Capitol Hill community, we do stuff. Until recently, California sought to achieve this without nuclear energy. But with a heat wave forecast for the coming days, California's grid operator on Tuesday warned that the excessive heat would stress the energy grid and conservation may be needed over the holiday weekend to avert power outages. Combined, nuclear power and natural gas provide nearly half of the total electricity consumed in California. Even if its plugged in all day, smart charging technology will find the optimal time to charge and, if necessary, deploy energy back into the grid. Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com or 408-920-5335. Will drivers be told not to charge their cars on days of extreme temperatures? We dont want people to be confused or lose confidence that the utility is going to be able to meet their needs.. Before continuing, I should point out how massive Californias decision is to move to 100% EVs 13 years from now. Come inside to our Social Lounge where the Seattle Freeze is just a myth and youll actually want to hang. Open. Just think of us as this new building thats been here forever. "These batteries work very well," Hall told Ars. "It's really the scale of zero-emission vehicle infrastructure: making sure that we have the right investments in battery electric vehicles and in fuel cell electric vehicles to meet the transition from internal combustion vehicles into an electrified transportation future," Monahan said. 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