In its continued pursuit of green energy goals and amidst consistent power grid issues, California may now be eyeing electric vehicles (EVs) to provide energy backup for its grid.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has proposed this unusual solution, believing in the potential of EVs to serve as grid backup generators.
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While California has embraced aggressive green energy initiatives, the state’s electrical grid remains troublingly unreliable.
In a curious move, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), a major power provider for about 16 million Californians, has proposed a seemingly desperate solution: leveraging electric vehicles (EVs) to bolster the state’s fragile grid.
Speaking to The Orange County Register, a representative from PG&E was quoted saying, “The grid needs those electric vehicles. We need to make it available, and it can be a huge resource.”
Further clarifying their position to Just the News, a spokesperson highlighted the concept of “bidirectional charging”.
The statement to Just the News read, “PG&E believes in a future where everyone is driving an electric vehicle (EV) and where that EV serves as a backup power option at home and more broadly as a resource for the grid.”
However, while PG&E may tout the environmental merits of such a proposal, it’s hard to ignore the state’s storied history with power challenges.
Despite being rich in renewable energy resources, California remains notorious for its rolling blackouts.
A stark example from August 2020 was reported by ABC, where hundreds of thousands of Californians experienced power interruptions.
Ironically, during such peak energy demands, the state often resorts to diesel generators to keep the lights on.
PG&E’s ambitious 2030 Climate Strategy Report sets a goal to power a staggering 3 million EVs, which translates to about 12,000 GWh of EV-related electric load.
They aim for two million of those EVs to be integral to “vehicle-grid integration” applications.
However, findings from the Pacific Research Institute suggest that California might be biting off more than it can chew. The state is currently struggling to produce enough electricity to meet its looming EV mandate.
The targeted 12,000 GWh represents a significant 18% of the total renewable electricity California generated in 2021.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has candidly recognized the state’s power grid challenges, terming it a “reliability issue” that demands attention.
While California boasts vast oil reserves, it remains reliant on out-of-state electricity imports, largely due to its stringent green commitments.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s data paints a bleak picture of California’s power situation, with the state leading in national power outages in the past year, recording 142 significant disruptions.
Given the high energy costs plaguing Californians, some of whom pay up to three times the providing cost, three utility companies have suggested a controversial change: charging residents based on income rather than actual energy consumption.
This latest proposal from PG&E only underscores the pressing need for practical solutions, as California grapples with balancing its green aspirations and the fundamental requirement of a stable power grid.
