Vehicle-To-Grid Charging Is Coming Fast — Here’s How Regulators And Utilities Can Prepare Now

• The U.S. electric grid is under stress. Observers have been understandably asking how the grid can handle the millions of additional electric vehicles that are expected to need charging over the next few years.
• Implemented correctly, EVs could be a lifeline for the grid. Efforts to explore the opportunities and grid value of vehicle-to-grid, or V2G, charging, where the EV battery is a storage resource that can be tapped to shore up the grid, need to be expanded and sped up to make the transition to EVs go much smoother for the grid and consumers alike.
• In their integrated resource plans, utilities could consider how many EVs will be in their service territories in coming years, and then consider how they could tap the battery capacity contained within those vehicles. This should be done in collaboration with vehicle owners to ensure they are able to provide that extra battery capacity at times when it works for their schedules and driving needs. Utilities may find that more renewable energy is feasible than thought before thanks to this additional backup capacity. 
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