EV-to-grid charging is complicated, but California is gearing up to clear the way

A new state bill might move the needle for V2G charging

If you have solar panels on your roof, it makes sense to add batteries, too, so you have some degree of self-sufficiency should you lose power. In fact, it might be a good idea to have such a storage system even if you don’t generate your own power. That way, you can charge the batteries when power is cheap and use that stored energy when electricity is eye-wateringly expensive and the mercury is reaching for the sky like it’s at a midsummer rave party and the bass just dropped.

From a distributed power strategy point of view, it would make a lot of sense for everyone to have their own local power storage. But it’s unlikely that folks who don’t have solar, wind or, in some cases, hydroelectric power on their property will spend on huge and expensive powerwalls.

However, there’s an unlikely solution for this: The enormous battery packs people already have in their electric vehicles, and the California Senate is discussing a bill that is hoping to cut through the red tape…