BetterWorldBooks.com

This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

July 24, 2013

Energy Department, EU Partner on EV and Smart Grid Coordination

Electric vehicles (EV) seem to be everywhere these days. As Secretary Moniz highlighted on July 19, plug-in hybrid sales doubled in the first six months of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012—and sales are only expected to grow as the next generation of cars and grid systems demonstrate even greater cost saving for consumers.

That is why the Energy Department launched a new center recently that will work to ensure that vehicles, charging stations, communications and networking systems work in unison with the electric grid. The Electric Vehicle-Smart Grid Interoperability Center, located at Argonne National Laboratory just outside of Chicago, will work to harmonize emerging EV and smart grid technologies.

Why is this important? The emergence of EVs brings new economic opportunities for local utilities. Large-scale capital investment by companies for the deployment of EVs, chargers and the smart grid will depend on the ability of consumers to conveniently, safely and securely charge—anywhere, anytime. This will require close linkages between the automotive and utility industries as new demand for electricity brings the need for new investments in power generation and grid systems. For the complete story, see the Energy Blog.