Two of Massachusetts’ largest electricity utilities have launched a pilot programme to test whether residential electric vehicles (EVs) can operate as grid assets, in what seems further progress towards integrating vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology into mainstream electricity networks.
Eversource and National Grid have partnered with distributed energy specialists EnergyHub, Sunrun and The Mobility House to trial residential V2G through the existing ConnectedSolutions demand response programme. The initiative will allow eligible customers with bidirectional-capable EVs to export electricity from their vehicle batteries during periods of peak demand, helping to reduce pressure on the grid while earning financial incentives.
Rather than creating a standalone demonstration, the companies are extending an established virtual power plant programme that already aggregates flexible capacity from connected thermostats, battery storage systems and commercial and industrial energy resources. The trial will assess how residential EVs can be incorporated into that existing framework.
Massachusetts already has more than 150,000 electric vehicles on its roads, while the number of models capable of bidirectional charging continues to grow. If widely adopted, V2G could transform parked EVs into distributed energy resources capable of supplying electricity back to the grid during periods of high demand.
The companies say participating vehicles could help improve grid reliability, reduce system strain and lower overall electricity costs by providing additional flexible capacity when it is most needed.
The programme also builds on earlier V2G activity in Massachusetts. National Grid is already using bidirectional charging within ConnectedSolutions for light- and medium-duty vehicle fleets, initially focusing on school buses, while Eversource says it is discussing similar opportunities with school districts through its ConnectedSolutions+ programme.
David Roman Ubeda, Senior Program Manager at National Grid, said: “ConnectedSolutions is an important part of our strategy to deliver safe, reliable and affordable service. V2G may provide additional opportunities to customers in support of managing their energy bills while advancing long-term sustainability across Massachusetts.”
Seth Frader-Thompson, President of EnergyHub, described ConnectedSolutions as “the gold standard for how utilities can scale virtual power plants by unifying diverse energy assets into a single, cohesive program.”
Chip Silverman, Sunrun’s Director of Grid Services, said: “We are excited to bring our dispatching expertise to Massachusetts and help expand our vehicle-to-grid technology to more customers. Vehicle batteries play a critical role in stabilizing the grid, providing backup power to homes, and lowering energy costs for everyone.”
Russell Vare, Vice President of Vehicle-Grid Integration at The Mobility House North America, added: “Electric cars and buses with bidirectional charging have a valuable capability to provide emergency back up power and vehicle-to-grid. The ConnectedSolutions program provides an excellent model to incentivize customers to interconnect their EVs to support the grid.”
Tilak Subrahmanian, Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility, said: “ConnectedSolutions is a nation-leading model for implementing virtual power plants, enabling us to actively partner with customers to help ease the strain on the electric grid. We are proud of the impact our demand response efforts have had so far, and we are excited to test the capabilities we’ve built within ConnectedSolutions on new innovations, such as V2G.”
While vehicle-to-grid technology has been demonstrated in numerous pilot projects over the past decade, its adoption has been constrained by the limited availability of bidirectional-capable vehicles and compatible charging infrastructure. By incorporating residential V2G into an existing utility demand response programme, the Massachusetts initiative tests not only the technology but also the commercial and operational model required for wider deployment.
