10% of California EVs could deliver 9 GW to grid
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- GridLab, Kevala, and Energy and Environmental Economics released a report, "Unlocking California's Flexible Load," estimating that V2G enrollment of 10% of California's projected EVs by 2036 could supply 9 GW of power for 12 hours — totaling 108 GWh of storage.
- That 108 GWh figure represents more than one-third of California's long-duration energy storage target for 2036, according to the report.
- The report calls for standardized program designs across California utilities, common technical requirements, and payments based on verified grid performance rather than flat enrollment bonuses.
- It also recommends compensating participants at less than the utility's avoided cost, preserving savings for customers without EVs, batteries, or smart devices — an affordability guardrail tied to ongoing rooftop-solar cost-shift debates.
- GridLab executive director Ric O'Connell said, "The question isn't whether California has the resources; it's whether our programs are designed to unlock their full value."
- The roadmap builds on a 2024 GridLab/Brattle Group study estimating virtual power plants using existing technology could meet over 15% of California's peak demand and save $550 million annually — figures the report flags as modeled, not yet realized.
- California's three big utilities currently run demand-flexibility programs with different rules, payment structures, and enrollment requirements — the fragmentation the report identifies as the core obstacle to scaling V2G.
Why it matters: California's three big investor-owned utilities currently run demand-flexibility programs with mismatched rules and payment structures, leaving modeled savings of $550 million annually unrealized. Standardizing payments by verified grid performance — and capping participant pay below avoided cost — would direct real savings to all ratepayers, a model already lowering bills in Vermont's Green Mountain Power territory.
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