New utility program could pay thousands to EV owners who sell power back to the grid

New utility program could pay thousands to EV owners who sell power back to the grid: National Grid and Eversource are launching a pilot of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging in New England to compensate EV owners for using energy stored in their cars during peak demand. The test includes 45 vehicles so far, and growth is limited because few U.S. EVs currently support V2G. Utilities typically address demand spikes by buying expensive power from “peaker” generators, but the program aims to create virtual power plants by drawing from parked EV batteries and recharging them later during off-peak hours. National Grid estimates typical participants earn about $1,250 per year, while The Mobility House’s Russell Vare said total value could reach “hundreds of dollars” to “thousands” annually. The effort will use bidirectional chargers installed with partners such as Sunrun and references existing virtual power plant programs in California and Virginia.