The California Independent System Operator Corporation (California ISO) released a blueprint for integrating electric vehicles (EVs) into the power grid.
“The Vehicle-Grid Integration Roadmap: Enabling Vehicle-based Grid Services” outlines three inter-dependent tracks to assess how consumer use of electric vehicles could benefit electric reliability, and to determine policies and technologies necessary to elicit that value through appropriate market signals for a more reliable, sustainable electric grid.
In 2012, California Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order setting a target of 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on California roads by 2025. To realize this goal, the governor’s Interagency Working Group on Zero-Emission Vehicles published a ZEV Action Plan.
The plan assigned the ISO to lead the coordinated roadmap effort in collaboration with the California Energy Commission, California Public Utilities Commission, the California Air Resources Board, the governor’s office and industry stakeholders. The roadmap identifies actions that will advance the state’s ZEV goals.
Ideally, coordinating EV charging with grid conditions and providing a mechanism for aggregation of EVs to respond to the ISO’s signals will maximize the benefits to be gained from EV use. The VGI Roadmap also explores the potential for VGI services to be included in clean technology development such as demand response, energy storage and energy efficiency.
While there is strong potential to supplement a symphony of new and diverse resources, it is important that EV grid products are harmonized with system operations. One example is creating the right incentive price signals to ensure EVs are charged during non-peak periods.
