GFO-24-302 – Enabling Electric Vehicles as Distributed Energy Resources

Transportation electrification is a key strategy to achieving California’s climate and air quality goals. With over 1 million electric vehicles (EVs) registered in California today and over 15 million EVs expected on the road by 2035, EVs can quickly become one of California’s largest distributed energy resources (DERs) as deployment accelerates if their significant battery capacity is leveraged. Fully realizing the benefits of EVs as DERs will require advancements in key enabling technologies and development and implementation of vehicle-grid integration (VGI) strategies at scale. Failure to optimize the full potential for EVs as DERs could result in significant increases in peak load growth and drive the need for otherwise avoidable grid upgrades. VGI largely comprises technologies and strategies that allow users to alter the charging behavior of EVs in a manner that benefits the electricity grid and ratepayers while ensuring driver mobility needs are met. VGI can encompass a portfolio of approaches ranging from simple timers to the alignment of charging with utility time-of-use rates to more complex technologies for automated charging management that can be responsive to grid conditions or enable co-optimization with other local DERs. Various VGI technologies and applications have been researched and demonstrated in California over the past decade, including use of managed and bidirectional charging to reduce customer electricity bills, reduce site peak demand, and increase usage of renewable electricity. Further advances in a host of enabling technologies could reduce the cost of VGI solutions, improve customer usability, and support additional functionalities. CEC’s Second AB 2127 Report[2] identified five broad areas in need of advancement to attain widespread VGI: 1) compensation structures, 2) customer products and services, 3) site-level electrical readiness, 4) EV and grid planning processes, and 5) customer ease, confidence, and enrollment. This solicitation intends to fund research and innovation that complements and supports actions that automakers, charging providers, utilities, automation service providers, regulators, and other stakeholders are taking to advance VGI in these broad areas. Specifically, the solicitation will seek projects to address VGI knowledge gaps; high costs of V2X or bidirectional charging equipment, as compared to unidirectional charging; and the lack of access to cost-effective, accurate, and flexible submetering solutions. Projects that address disadvantaged and/or low-income community needs with strong community engagement and support will be prioritized. Projects must fall within one of the following project groups: ·       Group 1: Addressing VGI Knowledge Gaps ·       Group 2: Cost Reduction of V2X Enabling Technology ·       Group 3: Submetering Solutions to Facilitate VGI