The California Energy Commission (CEC) has awarded a US$3 million (£2.36 million) grant to a collaborative project involving BorgWarner, Fermata Energy, Lion Electric, and American Transportation, focusing on implementing vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology for electric school buses.
“This CEC grant and project underscores the power of partnerships,” said Tony Posawatz, CEO of Fermata Energy. “Together, we are advancing electric vehicle integration and grid support in California schools while enabling a viable path toward renewable energy for future generations.”
Grid support and revenue generation
California has seen increased extreme weather events – the record-breaking winter storms last year, for example – which place a strain on the power grid. V2G technology offers a solution, as Dan Wilson, CEO of American Transportation, explains: “This is an exciting time to witness a pivotal change in the industry, and we are extremely grateful to play a role in that advancement.”
V2G allows electric vehicles (EVs), in this case, school buses, to feed excess power back into the grid during peak demand periods. This not only strengthens the grid but also creates a revenue stream for school districts through participation in demand response programs; as Patty Monahan, California Energy Commission’s lead commissioner for transportation, pointed out: “With this new technology, electric school buses are not only delivering cleaner air to our children and cost savings to our school districts, but also providing extra power to the grid when we need it most.”
The grant will fund the installation of 21 BorgWarner 125kW bi-directional chargers paired with a minimum of 20 Lion Electric zero-emission school buses. Fermata Energy’s V2X software platform will manage the charging and discharging cycles to optimise grid benefits and maximise revenue for the participating school districts. This project will be deployed at the Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) and the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), serviced by American Transportation.
California leads the way
While California is a leader in electric school bus adoption, V2G technology remains underutilised. As Isabelle McKenzie, vice president of BorgWarner Inc., stated, this project is vital to “supporting the State of California in electrifying the transportation departments of their school districts while addressing real grid challenges”, paving the way for broader deployment. It promotes grid reliability, mitigates the impact of extreme weather events and offers financial benefits to school districts. The project aims to serve as a model for other states looking to embrace clean energy solutions for the transportation sector.