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  * SOCIETY

PG&E CEO proposes using electric cars to send power back to grid to
prevent blackouts

Lyanne Melendez Image
ByLyanne Melendez KGO logo
Wednesday, August 9, 2023 12:57AM
How electric cars could help prevent blackouts
EMBED <>More Videos
[<iframe width="476" ]

PG&E's CEO Patricia Poppe has come up with an "unconventional" idea,
using electric cars to send excess power back to the grid to prevent
blackouts.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- It's been said before, California's power grid
will have to expand in order to meet the demand for more energy. PG&
E's CEO Patricia Poppe has come up with an "unconventional" idea,
using electric cars to send excess power back to the grid to prevent
blackouts.

Bi-directional charging already allows a few electric cars to send
energy from their battery to a home. Think of it as a backup home
generator.

RELATED: PG&E, Elon Musk brainstorm ways to meet growing electricity
needs

The Ford F-150 Lightning already has that capability and all General
Motors electric vehicles are expected to follow. In a recent
interview with Good Morning America, GM CEO Mary Barra talked about
GM leading the way in the EV industry.

"I have tremendous confidence in our brands, the strength of our
brands and our customers and the loyalty that we have," said Barra.

But PG&E's CEO, Patricia Poppe thinks the technology can go even
further by also sending that excess power to the grid, except that,
the interconnection is not there yet.

"Right now today, there is no technology and no automotive
manufacturer whose cars can actually send power beyond the home and
up into the grid," said Mark Toney, of Turn (The Utility Reform
Network).

But that doesn't mean it won't eventually happen, says Kurt Johnson
of the Climate Center.

RELATED: Electric vehicle drivers will soon have more charging
options as Tesla plans to open more stations

"There are 125 plus vehicle-to-grid projects going on globally,"
revealed Johnson.

San Diego has a pilot program with school buses using bi-directional
charging that feeds into the grid at the end of the day.

"It's a gigantic unharnessed, untapped power source that can be used.
Most vehicles are sitting parked, unused 95 percent of the time,"
added Johnson.

Still, PG&E has to come up with a compensation plan for those willing
to plug into the grid.

"If it's a good offer, I'll approve it, confirm it and stuff like
that," said Kenneth Lucas, an EV owner.

RELATED: EPA proposal means EVs could make up two-thirds of US new
car sales by 2032

Lawmakers in Sacramento are helping to move things along. For
example, Senate Bill 233 would make bi-directional charging mandatory
for all new electric vehicles.

Now the question is how quickly can that electrical connection be up
and running in any ordinary home to make vehicle-to-grid a reality.

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Copyright (c) 2023 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Related Topics

  * SOCIETY
  * SAN FRANCISCO
  * ELECTRIC
  * ENERGY
  * POWER OUTAGE
  * PG&E
  * CARS
  * ELECTRIC VEHICLES
  * AUTOMOTIVE

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