Rather than straining the grid, the batteries in EVs can actually help to stabilize the energy grid under heavy loads. PG&E gets that, and to encourage participation in its growing V2G programs, the utility is offering GM Energy customers in its territory up to $4,500 toward qualifying home battery systems.
Billed as a glimpse into the future of energy resilience, efficiency, and sustainability, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) launched a pilot program with GM Energy in March, and the pilot’s success has led to more serious conversations around the topics of home batteries, EVs, and other distributed energy resources (DERs) on the national level.
Now that it’s had time to digest the results of the initial pilot, it seems like the Oakland-based utility is doubling down, the utility is expanding the program, encouraging participation with up to $4,500 in incentives for GM Energy customers willing to plug in.
While giving customers the ability to use their GM EV as a back-up home generator is an incredible, practical benefit to customers, it is just the beginning of what we can do to help encourage mass EV adoption with this technology … with the right incentives and policies in place, programs like this one could accelerate the shift toward a more distributed energy model.
As more states explore ways to meet renewable and distributed energy targets as they build up grid resilience – witness Illinois’ recent passing of SB25, which is slated to add 3 GW of battery storage by 2030 – incentives that encourage new participation in V2H, V2G, and VPP tech can help utilities meet those goals.
While you gear up to write your state legislators about what a great/terrible job they’re doing to encourage more EVs in your neck of the woods, you can check out this episode of EV Reality Check where my good friend (and frequent Quick Charge guest) Matt Teske interviews Harris Schaer, Senior Program Manager, Utilities & Aggregators at GM Energy, as they look at similar programs already live across the country, talk up some real-world performance data, and explore the ways utility partnerships are shaping the future of distributed energy.
GM Energy v. Matt Teske
SOURCE: GM.
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