By Evan Halper
December 29, 2013, 5:00 a.m.
The idea is that utilities would pay vehicle owners to store electricity in the batteries of electric vehicles when the power grid has a surplus and drain electricity back out of them when demand rises.
The plan takes advantage of a key fact about cars: They spend most of their time parked. The technology makes idle vehicles a source of storage for utilities and cash for car owners.
The "Cash Back Car" is how the concept is described by Jon Wellinghoff, the recently retired chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. "It provides another incentive for people to buy electric cars," he said.
The technology could solve a potentially serious problem. The power grid, a massive tangle of power plants, transformers and thousands of miles of wire, needs to maintain a steady and balanced flow of power. Sudden surges threaten crashes that can cause blackouts. That makes the stop-and-go nature of energy from the wind and sun a constant source of worry.
1 comment:
Can't make this stuff up. Not going to happen. There is no central planning in the U.S. (has it worked anywhere), not enough vehicles that will be replaced (cash for clunkers), and an abundant domestic oil and ethanol supply. First responders risk electrocution when responding to crashes involving electric cars.
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