New England utilities will pay EV owners to turn parked cars into backup power

New England utilities will pay EV owners to turn parked cars into backup power as pilot programs explore vehicle-to-grid charging. The approach, reported by The Boston Globe, would let utilities pull electricity from qualifying EV batteries during peak-demand periods and then recharge them later. National Grid and Eversource have started pilots across New England, with participants receiving incentives. National Grid estimates a typical participant could earn roughly $1,250 per year, and Russell Vare of The Mobility House said the value could reach hundreds of dollars annually or even thousands. Participation is limited, with about 45 vehicles enrolled and an application window running until Sept. 30. A major constraint is bidirectional charging hardware compatibility, which restricts eligibility to a small set of U.S. EV models, including the Nissan Leaf, Kia EV9, Volvo EX90, Polestar Model 3, and Ford F-150 Lightning. Utilities say the goal is to reduce reliance on expensive peaker plants during spikes.