The U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office has chosen the Scaling Vehicle-to-Grid Integration Nationally (SVIN) project to receive approximately $10.9 million in funding to advance Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) adoption across the country. This project is a partnership between Highland Electric Fleets—a leader in school bus fleet electrification—12 utility providers, and other institutions. SVIN will deploy 14 V2G pilot projects using electric school buses to demonstrate the benefits of V2G technology, which allows electric vehicles to discharge energy back to the grid, providing critical flexibility, emergency power, and enhancing grid resilience.
The initiative aims to help utilities and regulators understand and capitalize on the value of V2G through data-driven pilot programs. Highland Electric Fleets, known for their expertise in V2G projects, highlights the potential of electric school buses for V2G services due to their availability and long idle periods. The SVIN project will also create a V2G Policy and Program Toolkit to offer scalable solutions for utility programs nationwide. Seven pilot locations will be situated in disadvantaged communities, with some incorporating vehicle-to-building capacity, storage, and solar energy to support local needs.
This funding is part of the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which aims to strengthen the nation’s grid infrastructure. The collaboration is expected to create 778 jobs, including construction and utility roles, contributing to local economic growth while driving the adoption of clean energy solutions.
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