EVs as Grid Batteries: V2G Pilots Expand Across the US
Original: The Solution to the Power Grid's Woes Might Just Be Sitting in Your Driveway
Why This Matters
V2G could offset costly grid infrastructure investment while accelerating EV adoption and renewable integration.
A coalition of five companies—Eversource, National Grid, EnergyHub, Sunrun, and the Mobility House—launched a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot in Massachusetts on July 26, 2026, allowing EV owners to sell stored battery power back to the grid during peak demand events and earn compensation.
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology enables EVs to discharge stored energy back into the electric grid during high-demand periods, such as heat waves. A new Massachusetts pilot integrates EV batteries into the existing ConnectedSolutions demand-response program. Participants install bidirectional chargers and are compensated when utilities call discharge events—described as 'a small number of hours per year' rather than daily use, according to Russell Vare, VP of vehicle-grid integration at the Mobility House North America. Chip Silverman of Sunrun noted the learnings from this pilot are essential for scaling the technology nationally. Utilities are pursuing V2G amid simultaneous pressures: surging electricity demand from data centers, EV adoption, and heat pump conversions; the intermittency of wind and solar renewables; and rising consumer energy costs tied to infrastructure upgrades. V2G proponents argue the technology can reduce the need for new utility-scale battery storage facilities, potentially lowering overall grid costs even for non-EV owners. Similar pilot projects are underway across multiple US states as utilities work to coordinate fleets scaling from hundreds to eventually millions of vehicles.