State officials are anticipating a more than sixfold increase in electric vehicles by 2030, and if only 1 in 10 of those vehicles were plugged in and able to provide electricity to the grid, they would add up to 6,000 megawatts of backup power for several hours to help avoid blackouts, according to the California Energy Commission. That’s the equivalent of having more than two additional Diablo Canyon nuclear power plants.

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State regulators have already adopted rules allowing vehicles to connect to the grid but should be doing more to make it a widespread reality. This is a promising source of clean, reliable power that California needs to prioritize by adopting rules and standards for cars and chargers and well-crafted incentives for vehicle owners. It could provide a pollution-free alternative to firing up fossil-fueled gas plants and generators to prevent blackouts during heat waves, which would be a win for public health and the planet.

California has an incentive program that could be retooled to outfit EV batteries as backup power stations.

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California needs policies now to enable the batteries of all the new electric cars that will soon be parked in driveways and garages to help make the transition to carbon-free electricity as smooth as possible.

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