mobile-menu-icon
GM Authority

GM, Ford And Google Team Up To Create Virtual Powerplants

GM is joining the Virtual Power Plant Partnership (VP3), a coalition of companies aimed at shaping standards for scaling up the use of virtual power plants (VPPs).

Per a recent report from Reuters, VPPs are systems of thousands of decentralized energy resources, including electric vehicles and electric heaters, that can work in concert to smooth electricity grid loads at times of heavy use or other challenges. With approval from customers, VPPs can coordinate EVs to switch from charging to discharge mode, as well as reduce consumption in electricity-using appliances like water heaters.

According to RMI, an independent non-profit organization focused on clean energy transition, VPPs can potentially reduce U.S. peak demand by 60 gigawatts by 2030, or roughly the consumption of 50 million households, and over 200 gigawatts by 2050. RMI will host the VP3 initiative.

VPPs have already proven to enhance grid reliability in Germany and Australia, as well as in some U.S. states. During a heat wave in California last August, California Independent System Operator avoided blackouts in part through VPPs. In a statement, the director of global energy strategy at GM, Rob Threlkeld, told Reuters that VP3 would “show that EVs can become a reliable asset to the retail utility and or the retail transmission operator,” as well as “an asset to a homeowner and to fleet customers.”

In addition to GM, other VP3 founding members include Ford and Google, as well as solar energy providers SunPower and Sunrun.

VPPs are expected to see massive growth in the U.S. following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides incentives for electric cars, as well as solar panels and other technology that can be plugged into VPPs to coordinate and smooth electric grid load.

Looking ahead, various GM vehicles, including the Chevy Silverado EV, will offer bidirectional charging capabilities, which can provide backup electricity to a home when properly equipped. GM is currently coordinating with SunPower to develop a new home energy system capable of powering an entire household during a grid outage via onboard vehicle-to-home capabilities.

Subscribe to GM Authority for more GM technology news, GM electric vehicle news, GM business news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.

Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

Subscribe to GM Authority

For around-the-clock GM news coverage

We'll send you one email per day with the latest GM news. It's totally free.

Comments

  1. This seems like an excellent idea *IF* they’ll compensate for battery degradation somehow. I’m envisioning utilities getting to pull energy from your battery in emergency situations, during approved hours, in exchange for a battery capacity guarantee over a certain number of years. Otherwise, I’d only want to have this for my own emergency backup purposes.

    Reply
    1. Exactly. I will only support this if A) you can choose exactly how much battery discharge you will tolerate and B) if you get compensated at or above market rates for electricity. Even then, it’s still burning up your battery. That’s like letting someone else drive your gas car around. Who pays for wear and tear? It better be the companies and not you.

      Reply
  2. Don’t want to hear about what Europe is doing about power. Please stop.

    Reply
  3. No thanks. Bridge too far. I have thermostat that let’s power company raise temp a couple times a week, but we are not home. Batteries are sensitive enough without extra cycles.

    Reply
    1. I told my utility no way!

      Reply
  4. No thanks! My electric utility already tries to do during times of high electricity demand. They turn off your AC on hot days and turn down your heat on cold days. So far it’s voluntary, I said NO. If you need more power then build it, I am not part of a collective.

    Reply
  5. Not everything is a communist conspiracy. You could certainly use a bidirectional connection to your vehicle battery for your private benefit without giving/selling away your power. You could save yourself having to purchase a separate electric generator for blackout protection if, for example, you have family members relying on electrically operated equipment for their health needs or want to keep your refrigerator going.

    A technical note: a bidirectional car connection requires having a CCS type port on the car which brings out a direct connection to the battery, along with software in the car which knows the battery can be allowed to flow either way. Older cars which don’t have DC fast charge capability and/or the necessary software won’t be usable. You also need to have the right type of wall equipment which can request DC from the car and turn it back into AC current for your home. So far, I am aware of only one manufacturer who is definitely committing to making such a wall box. That is Autel, yes, the same company who makes the fancy OBD-II diagnostic scanners.

    Reply

Leave a comment

Cancel