If you are a VCE commercial customer, you can enroll in a pilot program to send power from the batteries of your EV fleet back to the electric grid at times of high demand.
VCE is working with PG&E on a Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Pilot Program to make it easier for commercial customers to connect their charging stations to their facility’s electrical systems as well as the PG&E grid.
Incentives Available
3-phase bidirectional charger less than 50 kW:
- Up to $2,500 upfront ($3,000 for customers in Disadvantaged Communities)
3-phase bidirectional charger greater than or equal to 50 kW:
- Up to $4,500 upfront ($5,000 for customers in Disadvantaged Communities)
Eligibility
- Commercial customers that have standard 3-phase electrical service and qualifying vehicles and chargers
- Enrollment in customer group A, 5 Vehicle-Grid Integrations of the Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP) is required and offers additional incentives.
Eligible Vehicles and Chargers
| Vehicles | Chargers |
|---|---|
|
RIDE Chargers: Tellus Power Green models
|
|
Micro Bird Charger:
|
|
Blue Bird Charger:
|
|
Nissan Charger:
|
Getting started
- Download the application checklist (PDF) to find everything you need to enroll.
- Use this key question guide (PDF) to discuss your facility’s readiness for V2X with an electrician.
- Select a vehicle and its compatible charger from the eligible products list.
- Enroll in the pilot.
Q&A
How much do the V2H pilot incentives offset the costs for bidirectional technology?
The upfront incentives were designed to offset the estimated extra cost of a bidirectional charger.
How much does it cost to connect my bidirectional electric vehicle system to the PG&E grid?
The following interconnection fees will apply:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
|
Interconnection Request Fee |
$800 |
|
Supplemental Review Fee (if project fails Initial Review) |
$2,500 |
|
Detailed Study Refundable Deposit (if project fails Supplemental Review or applies directly to Detailed Study) for generating facility greater than 5MW |
$10,000 |
|
Detailed Study Refundable Deposit (if project fails Supplemental Review or applies directly to Detailed Study) for generating facility greater than 5MW |
$50,000 plus $1,000 per MW of electric output |
Do I need to be enrolled in a specific rate to be eligible to participate?
Yes, you must be on one of the time-of-use (Time-of-Use) rates listed below.
- Small Business – B6
- Medium Business – B10
- Large – B19 or B20
- Business Electric Vehicle – BEV-1 or BEV-2
If you have questions about your rate, or would like to change it, contact PG&E
Does the system need to be interconnected under Electric Rule 21?
Under Electric Rule 21, your system will need to be interconnected to perform vehicle-to-grid (V2G) use cases. V2G use cases will not be tested until Phase 2 of the pilot (expected to start in 2025). Systems that are not capable of V2G operation initially can be installed as backup generation only and submit an interconnection application later. Form 79-1095 (PDF) will allow you to act on the customer’s behalf but requires their authorization.
Backup generation only: Once installation is complete, call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 to confirm if they are working on an outage in the area.
Interconnection for grid-tied systems: Your Projects portal → “Connect Solar Panels, Wind Turbines, or Other Generating Equipment” → “Complex Self Generation” → “Non-Export”
In the Project Name field, please include “VGI Pilot” to flag your application for processing.
On the Equipment screen, select the Uncompensated Export option in the Operating Mode drop down list.
Form 79-1070 (PDF) will be added to your Interconnection Agreement to allow export.