Pacific Gas & Electric launches pre-enroll website for vehicle-to-everything electric pilot programs

Incentive-fueled pilot programs entered a pre-enroll period this week for customers of Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), promising access for approximately 1,400 people to vehicle-to-everything (V2X) endeavors that will test electric vehicles as mobile batteries and grid resources.

In all, three programs will be launched, each with financial incentives meant to integrate new bidirectional EV charging technology that will allow electric vehicles to become storage batteries on the grid. This will enable them to either provide onsite power for customers’ use or pump power back into the grid during periods of peak electricity demand. While this could be a boon to resilience, it could also help customers reduce their bills.

“Bidirectional EV charging is a game-changer for both the energy and transportation sectors. These pilot programs will help determine how to maximize the cost-effectiveness of bidirectional charging technology in providing a variety of customer and grid benefits,” Aaron August, PG&E’s vice president of Utility Partnerships and Innovation, said.

The three programs will consist of V2X Residential, V2X Commercial, and V2X Microgrids. On the residential side, up to $2,500 in incentives will be provided upfront to most and $3,000 for those in disadvantaged communities, as well as up to $2,175 more for providing stored energy to the grid in times of high demand via auto-enrollment in the Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP). Similar ideas will guide the other two programs. Commercial customers can gain the same upfront installation incentives for less than 50 kW 3-phase bidirectional chargers, although their high-demand incentives go up to $3,625. Those over 50 kW could gain $4,500 upfront (or $5,000 for those in disadvantaged communities) and another $3,625 for providing stored energy in the demand response program.

In terms of microgrids, the V2X program will offer up to $3,750 for providing stored energy through the ELRP demand response program, with the possibility to stack these incentives with the other two V2X programs’ offers.

PG&E noted that approximately 1,000 costumes should be enrolled in the residential program, while another 200 could each join the commercial and microgrid pilots. Through pre-enroll, customers can express interest in participating, and the company will move to assess eligibility and reserve any rebates and full enrollment opportunities for them in 2023.