How parked electric vehicles could stabilize the US power grid

The article explores the transformative potential of turning parked electric vehicles (EVs) into distributed energy resources to stabilize the US power grid. With millions of EVs equipped with large batteries sitting idle for much of the day, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology can enable bidirectional charging—allowing these parked cars to send electricity back to the grid during peak demand periods. This approach could reduce reliance on costly and polluting peaker plants, which utilities currently activate to meet spikes in electricity use, especially during heat waves and increased home and data center energy consumption. As EV adoption accelerates rapidly, traditional grid planning methods, which rely on predictable, centralized power generation, are becoming obsolete due to the variable and decentralized nature of EV charging. V2G technology leverages sophisticated power electronics and real-time control software to safely manage the flow of energy both to and from EV batteries. Unlike conventional one-way chargers, bidirectional chargers act as power converters controlled digitally to balance voltage, current, and thermal conditions