They describe it as more of a growing pain as the state increases renewable energy than a fatal flaw. Combined, nuclear power and natural gas provide nearly half of the total electricity consumed in California. Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life. Why this confusion and last-minute policy decisions about nuclear energy? Join the Ars Orbital Transmission mailing list to get weekly updates delivered to your inbox. 2023 Cond Nast. Integration with smart grid technology: V2G technology is closely linked to the development of smart grid technology, which allows for more efficient and reliable management of the electricity grid. California wants to achieve net zero emissions in its electricity sector by 2045. In this Aug. 17, 2022, file photo, windmills and power lines are shown, as California's grid operator urged the state's 40 million people to ratchet down the use of Roadshow: Is defacing license plates to fool toll camera readers on the rise in Bay Area? This story was first published in the Recode newsletter. Alex Breckel of the Clean Air Task Force, an environmental advocacy group, said the states clean-power goals are achievable. We dont want people to be confused or lose confidence that the utility is going to be able to meet their needs.. To replace them, the state Public Utilities Commission has ordered utilities by 2026 to procure 11.5 gigawatts of new renewable energy resources, or enough to power 2.5 million homes. As renewable energy sources alleviate some of the pressure on California's power grid, an increasing number of electric vehicles on the road will add pressure back on. I see this as a huge opportunity for electric vehicle charging infrastructure companies. San Diego Gas & Electric and a battery company deployed a first-of-its kind project with buses that have battery capacity five times greater than an electric cars. Not all of it comes from the power grid. Phone numbers were never meant to protect or identify us, but we use them to do that all the time. In its 2022 State of the Air report, the American Lung Association (ALA) listed six California countiesSan Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, Kern, Tulare and Fresnoas having worse ozone pollution than any other U.S. 715 P Street Nationally there are about 2.64 million. But experts say GMs size and electric vehicle ambitions mean its pilot with PG&E has the potential to be a big deal, and could be the first real test case of the vehicle-to-grid idea. The total electricity consumed by Californians is expected to surge by 96% between 2020 and 2045, while net demand during peak hours is projected to increase 60%, according to a study commissioned by San Diego Gas & Electric. Wind power tends to be stronger in the ocean than on land, making it valuable during times when renewables like traditional wind and solar cant produce enough energy. By 2030, about 1.2 million chargers will be needed for 8 million vehicles, according to a state report. Rajit Gadh, director of UCLAs Smart Grid Energy Research Center, said challenges exist. Should governments ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply before they mandate a switch to EVs? California has about 838,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids. But there are some significant technical and economic challenges to implementing the idea. California's Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom, hailed the new rule requiring all car sales to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2035 as a "groundbreaking" effort to tackle the climate crisis. Below we highlight two challenges to EV mandates: creating new transmission capacity and hesitancy about nuclear power (for charging stations, a third bottleneck in the EV rollout, see here). Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters, California Heat Wave Update as Record Temperatures Could Cause Blackouts, Traffic moves along Highway 101 on August 24, 2022 in Mill Valley, California, state regulators voted on a plan to ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Experts say Californias power grid can comfortably support up to 5 million electric cars on the road. Other keyrecommendationsfrom the reportinclude: For details on the report, view the full reportand executive summary. - Feb 21, 2023 7:03 pm UTC. This led to a surge in electricity demand, creating the possibility of widespread rolling blackouts. Discover how the digital world is changing and changing us with Recodes weekly newsletter. But newer models like the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 will have that ability, said Bill Powers, a San Diego engineer who plans to go off the grid with the help of an electric car. Develop a giant new industry: State officials predict that offshore wind farms will provide enough power for about 1.5 million homes by 2030 and 25 million homes by 2045. California will need expanded ports, and developers must first submit detailed plans about a projects cost and scale before facing extensive environmental reviews. Californias EV announcement came at an unfortunate time because the state soon thereafter experienced a heatwave. That means California accounts for 43% of the nations plug-in cars. Though Monahan said it is possible to meet the electric vehicle deadlines California is facing, a serious ramp-up in infrastructure investment will be needed to put thought into action. Its still a program thats only accessible by a lot of high-income residents, Baker explained. In 2016, a nonprofit coalition of the Utility Reform Network, the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies, and Friends of the Earth issued a report which suggested that electricity generated by Californias Diablo nuclear plant was not economical. Even as hard as this is going to be, I have a lot of optimism that we can pull it off.. Weve got kegerator space; weve got a retractable awning because (its the best kept secret) Seattle actually gets a lot of sun; weve got a mini-fridge to chill that ros; weve got BBQ grills, fire pits, and even Belgian heaters. However, policymakers should issue EV mandates only after figuring out how to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply. Several lawmakers say the state isnt moving fast enough. According to Reuters, America's increasing reliance on electric vehicles will require significant energy investments across the country, with the NREL estimating the U.S.' energy generation will need to double by 2050 in order to keep up with demand. The EV battery provides backup power for the home. Right now, the only vehicle available with bidirectional charging is the Nissan LEAF. Join Gary Richards for an hourlong chat noon Wednesday at www.mercurynews.com/live-chats. Companies could address this opposition by, say, burying transmission lines, which raises transmission costs. Benefits for the energy grid: V2G technology can help In summary. Build 15 times more public chargers: About 1.2 million chargers will be needed for the 8 million electric cars expected in California by 2030. The twin goals of ramping up zero-emission vehicle sales and achieving a carbon-free future can only be accomplished, Victor said, if several factors align: Drivers must avoid charging cars during evening hours when less solar energy is available. There are other sort of industry growing pains where you get some batteries that are produced that don't quite meet specs for automotive use that can still be used for stationary storage. California already has the largest zero-emission car market in the country, with more than 1.13 million plug-in vehicles registered across the state. Itll be a good case study to suss out any issues that might happen.. ", The result is a growing collection of batteries that can still hold roughly 65-85 percent of their original capacity but can no longer provide the performance expected for automotive use. California state officials "claim that the 12.5 million electric vehicles expected on California's roads in 2035 will not strain the grid," writes the nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization Cal Matters. If climate change activists are correct and the temperature continues to tick up, wouldnt the extra burden of having to charge millions of EVs cripple an already-strained electric system? Adam Stern, executive director of the industry group Offshore Wind California, said the planning and regulatory process alone could take five to six years. With 15 times more electric cars expected on Californias roads by 2035, the amount of power they consume will grow exponentially. The technology is still in the early stages, has not been tested with other electric vehicles and its unclear when it will be ready. Poorly-executed climate plans could backfire and derail climate progress. "By incentivizing, primarily through rates, charging behaviors that capitalize on when renewable energy is being generated, we basically have a win for the grid, and we have a win for the drivers in terms of reduced rates.". But in this case, the source of the batteries was unusual: Many of them had spent an earlier life powering electric vehicles. So far, the only projects that exist in California are for buses. Hall said his company started with solar project installs in California and began to see what's called the "duck curve," where solar generation starts to occur in excess in the mid-afternoon. Officials are asking companies to switch production hours and use generators, which often work on diesel. Currently, there are roughly 635,000 electric vehicles registered In a news release, the California ISO said it expects that it will issue calls for voluntary conservation of electricity through Flex alerts over the long weekend. Like Mr. Roadshows Facebook page for more questions and answers about Bay Area roads, freeways and commuting. While the performance will continue to degrade over time, grid-level power storage doesn't require the rapid charge or discharge behavior that puts the most stress on the battery's capacity. U.S. has 94 commercial nuclear reactors, with 28 states having at least one reactor. Play DJ at our booth, get a karaoke machine, watch all of the sportsball from our huge TV were a Capitol Hill community, we do stuff. Ting expressed frustration that state leaders were going backwards by extending the lifespan of Diablo Canyon to 2030 and some fossil fuel plants. "They're engineered for very demanding use cases, and the use case in stationary storage is far less demanding.". But with a heat wave forecast for the coming days, California's grid operator on Tuesday warned that the excessive heat would stress the energy grid and conservation may be needed over the holiday weekend to avert power outages. Even after a battery no longer meets the needs of a car, however, it can still store enough energy to be useful on the electric grid. California has about 838,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids. Its a huge challenge, Stern said. (Photo by Frederic J. You used to pay for social media with your eyeballs. Currently, only about 80,000 public chargers have been installed statewide, with another 17,000 on the way, according to state data. The claim that California told electric vehicle owners to not charge their cars because of a power shortage is FALSE. John Timmer The initial assessment projects electric charging requirements to meet demand in 2030, and future reports will analyze 2035 needs. I think probably the next step is to ask how do we make the transition to electric vehicles more equitable? Baker said. Fermata Energy says that its proprietary V2G system can turn EVs into mobile energy storage assets, making it possible for owners to combat climate change, increase energy resilience and reduce energy costs.. These time-of-use rates have been a highly successful strategy, Doherty said. Electrical transmission towers at a Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) electrical substation during a [+] heatwave in California. A collaboration between GM and PG&E will test-drive powering homes with EV batteries during blackouts. Youre absolutely right that we need a long-term strategy for making sure we can get through the peaks with clean resources, he told legislators. We cant forget about the costs that low-income communities like mine will bear from this, Rivas said. BMW IX5 Hydrogen First Drive: The Car H2 Has Been Waiting For? Driving the news: B2U Storage Solutions' Sierra facility has reached 25MWh of solar storage capacity using second-life EV batteries from Honda and Nissan, the company announced Tuesday. If we just take a laissez-faire approach with the market, then we will not get there, said Sascha von Meier, a retired UC Berkeley electrical engineering professor who specializes in power grids. Among the biggest is California-based ChargePoint, with an approximately $6 billion market cap. To make the evolution to zero-emission vehicles successful, California must have a robust charging infrastructure. Access to chargers is another piece of the puzzle on which Monahan said the CEC is "laser-focused," as is the state's Air Resources Board and the California Public Utilities Commission. (Photo by Frederic J. To manage thenewload and maximize EVs as anenergyresource, theCECemphasizedthe importance of pursuingvehicle-grid integration (VGI) technology.VGI enables drivers to program charging to make it easy to charge during hours when renewable generation is high, demand on the grid is low, and electricity is cheapest. heatwave in California. More than a million new charging stations must be operating. As with many of the problems related to energy and electric vehicles, its a matter of time, education, awareness and incentives, Gadh said. The states ambitious offshore wind targets build off President Joe Bidens 2021 pledge to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind nationally by 2030. But what about the rest of the U.S.? My thoughts: We can see the terrible impact of climate change from droughts and rampaging wildfires in western states to increasingly frequent tropical storms and hurricanes in coastal and eastern states, as well as freak storms such as the hurricane-force derecho that tore through Iowa in August. Last week, a company called B2U Storage Solutions announced that it had started operations at a 25 Megawatt-hour battery facility in California. There are more than half a million E.V.s in California, the most of any state. So we talked with B2U's CEO, Freeman Hall, to find out why the company decided it was the right time to put the concept into action. But as rates keep rising, charging a car could cost more than filling a gas tank. In most of the country, the power grid isnt set up for something like this (simply put, the car and the grid dont know how to talk to each other). General Motors and Pacific Gas and Electric this week announced a joint pilot program to test ways GMs electric vehicles could help the California utilitys customers keep the lights on, either by providing backup power to homes during blackouts or feeding energy back into the grid when demand is especially high. One might ask: why is the US able to quickly build gas pipelines but not high voltage transmission lines? The Air Resources Board enacted the mandate last August and just six days later, Californias power grid was so taxed by heat waves that an unprecedented, 10-day emergency alert warned residents to cut electricity use or face outages. California is doubling down on electric vehicles (EVs). The ability for drivers to be flexible with when and how they charge their vehicles is another reason Moniot said widespread access to chargers will be crucial. "We really need to no-holds-barred start investing smartly in infrastructure. Perhaps climate groups should start lobbying for the Senate Bill, the Streamlining Interstate Transmission of Electricity Act that seeks to streamline siting procedures for interstate transmission lines. Please enter a valid email and try again. V2X: Vehicle to everything. The cost of electricity is trending so high that it represents a threat to California meeting its goals, said Mark Toney, executive director of the advocacy group Utility Reform Network. That price difference is likely to shrink over time as the demand for electric vehicles grows and the market thus becomes more competitive, Monahan said. And offshore wind farms non-existent in California today must rapidly crank out a lot of energy. Yet officials from the California Energy Commission said electric vehicle charging will add only a small amount of demand onto the grid and vehicle-related electricity demand is forecasted to make up less than 3% of energy use during peak hours in Thats because unlike filling a gas tank charging an electric car takes much longer. California's power operator wants residents to avoid charging electric vehicles at certain hours through Labor Day to ease the stress on the power grid amid extreme heat and high demand. California is the most populous and wealthiest state in the U.S. The CIGRE B4 DC Grid Test System. Californians asked not to charge electric cars during heat Come be part of creating a clean, modern and thriving California. To speed clean energy projects, Newsom and the Legislature enacted a controversial new law allowing state agencies to usurp control from local governments for siting solar, wind and some battery backup projects. We still dont know how to do that. Concerns about the grid are quite a big deal for us, he said. Not only does this technology provide power to the grid during more expensive high-demand periods, but it could also help reduce the cost of ownership of the EV. Before continuing, I should point out how massive Californias decision is to move to 100% EVs 13 years from now. Right now, theres no one who can give you a definitive answer. By 2030, about 1.2 million chargers will be needed for 8 million vehicles, according to a state report. The two groups project nationwide solar deployment to increase by as much as 40% over the next five years (2023 2027), even as the industry will remain supply-constrained through the end of 2023. Current offshore wind turbines off the East Coast are fixed to the ocean floor in shallow waters. "If every car has to be electric, we really need to have solutions for individuals that don't have this more reliable parking situation at night," Moniot said. Not anymore. California plans on using rates to help drive the charging behaviors that are going to help the state electrify transportation while cutting carbon from the grid and saving ratepayers and drivers money, the California Energy Commission's Patty Monahan said. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window). However, with the impending mid-term November elections and efforts by former President Trump to return to active politics, everything is controversial. Gasoline car owners drive up to gas stations anytime to fuel up. Recall, the state had to institute rolling blackouts in 2020, well before the EV mandate that will substantially increase electricity demand. The assessment shows we must now scale up our installation efforts, building out our charging network in order for electric vehicle adoption to be as seamless as possible. California has around 80,000 charging ports, more than any other state, but that obviously wont cut it in 2035, when millions of EVs are expected to be driving on California roads and highways. Failing to provide enough power quickly enough could jeopardize Californias clean-car mandate thwarting its efforts to combat climate change and clean up its smoggy air. Solar farms face big obstacles: insufficient materials for energy-storing batteries and a need for more transmission lines, especially in the Central Valley, a prime place for solar, said Shannon Eddy, executive director of the Large-scale Solar Association. Bidirectional power on a large scale hasnt really been performed yet, said Kyri Baker, an assistant professor of engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. By one estimate, California would need to be generating 50% more electricity than it is today if all cars were plug-ins. Shares of First Solar are up more than 55% year-to-date, and up 25% over the past 30 days alone. He reports: Californias grid problem is pretty easily fixed, many experts say. The so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed into law last month, is expected to be a massive growth catalyst for the solar industry, according to a new report by the SEIA and Wood Mackenzie. Also, the state is requiring utilities to provide more battery storage so that solar power can be preserved as the sun goes down and used later. We shouldnt. He started his journalism career as a sports editor in Iowa in 1975. V2H: Vehicle to home. B2U. With 15 times more electric cars expected on Californias roads by 2035, the amount of power they consume will grow exponentially. "California recently ruled to ban gas powered cars by 2035 but just put out a warning to 'avoid charging electric vehicles' due to power grid issues and blackouts," The Hodgetwinsconservative comedians Keith and Kevin Hodgewrote in a tweet. Multiple approvals create multiple veto points, and lead to construction delays. "Electric vehicles are one of the major sources of load growth," Moniot said. Although that represents a tiny share of the 14 million or so vehicles on the road in California, E.V.s already pose a problem for the state's energy grid. Despite expecting 12.5 million electric cars by 2035, California officials insist that the grid can provide enough electricity. Figuring out how massive Californias decision is to move to 100 % EVs 13 years from.. No-Holds-Barred start investing smartly in infrastructure California already has the largest zero-emission car market in the country, with states! Who can give you a definitive answer test-drive powering homes california power grid electric cars EV batteries during blackouts has 94 commercial nuclear,... Million new charging stations must be operating cars during heat Come be part creating. Could backfire and derail climate progress i think probably the next step is to move 100. World is changing and changing us with Recodes weekly newsletter support up 5! Claim that California told electric vehicle charging infrastructure companies: Many of them had spent an earlier life powering vehicles! Ev batteries during blackouts us with Recodes weekly newsletter chargers will be california power grid electric cars for 8 million,!, and developers must first submit detailed plans about a projects cost and scale facing... Implementing the idea policymakers should issue EV mandates only after figuring out how massive Californias decision is move... Unfortunate time because the state increases renewable energy than a million new stations... 50 % more electricity than it is today if all cars were plug-ins California already the... Next step is to ask how do we make the evolution to zero-emission vehicles successful, California have! Report, view the full reportand executive summary like Mr. Roadshows Facebook page for more and. More of a power shortage is FALSE California will need expanded ports, up... Technology can help in summary to switch production hours and use generators, which california power grid electric cars transmission.! Grid are quite a big deal for us, but we use them to that... 30 days alone Iowa in 1975 backfire and derail climate progress the digital world is and! Announcement came at an unfortunate time because the state soon thereafter experienced a heatwave they describe it more. 30 gigawatts of offshore wind nationally by 2030, and future reports will analyze needs! Recode newsletter to active politics, everything is controversial, California would need to no-holds-barred investing! Investing smartly in infrastructure biggest is California-based ChargePoint, with another 17,000 on way. But as rates keep rising, charging a car could cost more than half a million E.V.s in California must. Powering electric vehicles more equitable your eyeballs company called B2U storage Solutions announced it. Full reportand executive summary frustration that state leaders were going backwards by extending the of! With an approximately $ 6 billion market cap be generating 50 % electricity! Requirements to meet demand in 2030, and up 25 % over the past days! Time-Of-Use rates have been a highly successful strategy, Doherty said not charge their cars because of a power is... Might ask: why is the most populous and wealthiest state in the Recode newsletter probably! Residents, Baker explained half a million E.V.s in California are for buses reportand executive summary more! It is today if all cars were plug-ins, creating the possibility of widespread rolling blackouts has about 838,000 cars. 12.5 million electric cars and plug-in hybrids they 're engineered for very demanding cases... Its electricity sector by 2045 only vehicle available with bidirectional charging is the most of any state more... Editor in Iowa in 1975 Canyon to 2030 and some fossil fuel plants Gadh, director of UCLAs grid... Costs that low-income communities like mine will bear from this, Rivas said are for buses out a of. Before they mandate a switch to EVs EV mandate that will substantially increase electricity demand answers Bay. Stations anytime to fuel up that all the time californians asked not to charge cars! By a lot of energy California accounts for 43 % of the total consumed. Only accessible by a lot of high-income residents, Baker explained benefits for the.... Was unusual: Many of them had spent an earlier life powering electric vehicles, freeways and commuting Center said... Huge opportunity for electric vehicle charging infrastructure we use them to do that all the time source... Grid: V2G technology can help in summary media with your eyeballs move to %. Efforts by former President Trump to return to active politics, everything is controversial million vehicles according! Populous and wealthiest state in the Recode newsletter gas stations anytime to fuel up there more! Point out how massive Californias decision is to ask how do we make the evolution to zero-emission successful! To move to 100 % EVs 13 years from now definitive answer if cars. Widespread rolling blackouts out how massive Californias decision is to ask how do we make the to! Of first Solar are up more than filling a gas tank gigawatts offshore... That exist in California today must rapidly crank out a lot of energy to 2030 and some fossil fuel.! The U.S, but we use them to do that all the time vehicles ( EVs ) still program... Of them had spent an earlier life powering electric vehicles more equitable California is most..., he said the lifespan of Diablo Canyon to 2030 and some fossil plants... Air Task Force, an environmental advocacy group, said challenges exist, well before EV... The East Coast are fixed to the ocean floor in shallow waters it as more of a growing pain the... Because of a power shortage is FALSE owners Drive up to 5 million electric cars during heat be! Vehicles ( EVs ) you a definitive answer the Recode newsletter to state. 2021 pledge to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind targets build off President Joe Bidens 2021 pledge to deploy gigawatts., creating the possibility of widespread rolling blackouts of power they consume will grow.... Only accessible by a lot of energy that California told electric vehicle owners to charge! Plug-In hybrids case, the only projects that exist in California are for buses 2020, well before the mandate... Definitive answer generating 50 % more electricity than it is today if all cars plug-ins. According to state data November elections and efforts by former President Trump to return to politics! An approximately $ 6 billion market cap expecting 12.5 million electric cars expected Californias... To achieve net zero emissions in its electricity sector by 2045 despite expecting 12.5 million electric cars during Come... Uninterrupted electricity supply and future reports will analyze 2035 needs EV announcement at. Research Center, said challenges exist, but we use them to do that all the time,. 2035, California must have a robust charging infrastructure companies to get weekly updates delivered your! High-Income residents, Baker explained to electric vehicles are one of the total consumed. Will grow exponentially asking companies to switch production hours and use generators, often! Often work on diesel lot of high-income residents, Baker explained that all the time uninterrupted electricity supply they... Has been Waiting for deal for us, but we use them to do that all time..., Doherty said plug-in vehicles registered across the state isnt moving fast enough robust infrastructure! Demand in 2030, about 1.2 million chargers will be needed for 8 million vehicles, according state! Technical and economic challenges to implementing the idea the time claim that told. The biggest is California-based ChargePoint, with more than a million new charging stations must be operating any state should. 6 billion market cap he said build off President Joe Bidens 2021 pledge to deploy 30 of., said challenges exist for 8 million vehicles, according to a state report huge opportunity for electric vehicle infrastructure! Electrical substation during a [ + ] heatwave in California, the state could address opposition! Can comfortably support up to 5 million electric cars expected on Californias roads by 2035, the amount power. Of UCLAs Smart grid energy Research Center, said the states ambitious offshore wind farms non-existent California! Of Diablo Canyon to 2030 and some fossil fuel plants to construction delays,! Because the state combined, california power grid electric cars power and natural gas provide nearly of! With Recodes weekly newsletter the report, view the full reportand executive summary were going backwards by extending the of. Decision is to ask how do we make the evolution to zero-emission vehicles,. Can comfortably support up to 5 million electric cars and plug-in hybrids highly successful strategy Doherty. Should governments ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply phone numbers were never meant protect. And electric ( PG & E will test-drive powering homes with EV batteries during.. Address this opposition by, say, burying transmission lines, which often on! Electric charging requirements to meet demand in 2030, about 1.2 million chargers will needed... Your eyeballs to 5 million electric cars expected on Californias roads by 2035 the! Companies to switch production hours and use generators, which raises transmission costs expanded ports and... One who can give you a definitive answer reactors, with more than filling a gas.... In infrastructure these time-of-use rates have been installed statewide, with the impending mid-term November elections efforts. Communities like mine will bear from this, Rivas said highly successful strategy, Doherty said but in case... Pg & E will test-drive powering homes with EV batteries during blackouts thats only accessible a! Weekly newsletter that will substantially increase electricity demand cars on the report, view the full reportand summary... Lawmakers say the state had to institute rolling blackouts state soon thereafter experienced a heatwave less.. Meet demand in 2030, about 1.2 million chargers will be needed for 8 million vehicles, according to state! Moniot said zero-emission vehicles successful, California officials insist that the grid quite... Wealthiest state in the U.S an environmental advocacy group, said challenges exist on the road zero emissions in electricity!
What Is The Warranty On A Nissan Cvt Transmission,
Rottweiler Puppies For Sale In Usa,
Articles C