The growth of electric vehicles has increased the demands on the electric grid, which can be a particular problem if EV owners charge their cars at the same time that other electricity demand is at its peak. However, EVs may be part of the solution to some of the grid's operational challenges. Dr. Carla Peterman, chief sustainability officer at electric utility Pacific Gas and Electric and a former California energy official, spoke about the possibility of electric vehicles providing grid services. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/ev-vehicle-grid-integration-with-dr-carla-peterman-california-china-climate-institute/
For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/ev-vehicle-grid-integration-with-dr-carla-peterman-california-china-climate-institute/
Dr. Peterman:Transportation is our biggest contribution to greenhouse gasses in the state. So the more we can electrify our vehicles, then that can actually have some real impact.
Ethan: That's Dr. Carla Peterman, chief sustainability officer at electric utility Pacific Gas and Electric and a former California energy official, in a California-China Climate Institute conversation with former Governor Jerry Brown. She wants to improve the electric grid to handle more electric vehicles.
Dr. Peterman: When you put one electric vehicle on the grid, it's equivalent to about the load of two households. If you're having supply constraints, it can become a reaction to go back to the fossil fuel that you know is going to be available. The environmental cost, the health cost just aren't worth it – So we're going to need to improve our grid infrastructure to accommodate that move.
Ethan: The batteries in the vehicles themselves might provide a solution.
Dr: Peterman: The ability to plug your vehicle in to your home, to serve as backup energy, at times when the system needs it or to have your vehicle send power back to the grid, those are all areas that we've been talking about for years
but given the needs that we're seeing, the technical feasibility is starting to become reality. So we're partnering with car companies, talking to other utilities. About how we can use vehicles in multiple ways on our grid. In addition to as a driving resource.
Ethan: To learn more about Dr. Peterman and how electric vehicles can provide grid services, visit climatebreak.org. I'm Ethan Elkind and this was Climate Break.