Electric Vehicles Can Send Power Back To The Grid, Lawmakers Learn

A fleet of electric school buses, like the ones now manufactured in South Charleston, can put power back into the grid during the day.

That, said Lory Murphy Lee, manager of regulatory and legislative affairs for the PJM regional transmission operator, means they can contribute to grid stability.

“It’s no longer a one-way street for plug-in electric vehicles,” she said.

Lee, speaking to the joint Energy Committee of the West Virginia legislature, noted that electric vehicles draw a small amount of power from the grid currently.

But widespread adoption of EVs in the coming years could change how electric utilities and transmission operators like PJM manage the grid.

School districts could be winners, especially when their bus fleets are idle over the summer. That’s a peak time for electricity demand.