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The latest EV charging news in Massachusetts was about 105 new fast chargers to be installed for Boston Public Schools. Electric school buses have many public health and environmental benefits, so installing more chargers for them will be an advantage.
Just a couple days later, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center published a press release about a new state EV charger program.
“The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today announced the participants in a first-of-its-kind Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Demonstration program. Selected participants, including school districts, residents, and municipal projects, will receive bi-directional electric vehicle (EV) chargers at no cost. The program will help to accelerate the adoption of V2X technologies, which, at scale, can lower energy bills by reducing energy demand during expensive peak periods and limiting the need for new grid infrastructure.”
Some people who are not well educated on the subject matter seem to think electric vehicles are just like gas vehicles, but electric. So, they miss out on understanding the many benefits electric vehicles have that gas and diesel vehicles don’t have. Electric vehicles have been called “batteries on wheels” because their battery packs are large and can be used for purposes other than powering electric motors to propel EVs. Their large battery packs can be used as backup electricity during power outages and as energy storage to support electric grids provided there is an interface technology between the EV and the local grid. Bidirectional charging technology means EV batteries can supply electricity for other uses when they are not being driven or charged.
“Virtual Power Plants are the future of our electrical grid, and I couldn’t be more excited to see this program take off. We’re putting the power of innovation directly in the hands of Massachusetts residents. Bi-directional charging unlocks new ways to protect communities from outages and lower costs for families and public fleets,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper.
Although it might seem strange to some people, if there are several hundred or thousand electric vehicles that all can share their electricity with a local grid, their total electricity storage can act as a sort of power plant, aka a “virtual power plant” or a VPP. If many EVs spend most of their time sitting, especially at night, with bidirectional charging, vehicle-to-grid, or vehicle to load capability, they can provide a whole lot of power without there being any need for backup diesel generators that are loud, stinky, and heavily polluting.
The Massachusetts program will include 4 municipal projects, 5 school districts, and 30 residences. “These bi-directional chargers will enable EVs to act as mobile energy storage assets, with the program expected to deliver over one megawatt of power back to the grid during a demand response event—enough to offset the electricity use of 300 average American homes for an hour.”
The US has been a technology leader for decades, despite the current state of political affairs. Electric vehicles provide opportunities that gas and diesel vehicles do not. “Innovative programs like this one are exactly what Massachusetts needs to meet our clean energy goals while strengthening grid reliability in every corner of the Commonwealth. By investing in Vehicle-to-Everything technology, we’re empowering residents, schools, and municipalities—from Williamstown to Boston—to take part in building a more resilient and sustainable energy future. I’m grateful to see communities in Western Massachusetts included among the first participants leading the way,” said State Senator Paul Mark (D-Becket).
The US is a technology leader, not a laggard; America is known for inventiveness and innovation.
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