Marc Spitzer, head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), is quoted in a New York Times article today as saying that “Vehicle-to-grid is . . . the salvation of the automotive industry in the United States”. While this statement represents Commissioner Spitzer’s opinion, the opportunity for electric cars to store excess electricity, potentially generated by renewable, intermittent sources, could help supply the necessary energy needed to supplement the grid. Base load power remains a major concern, leading to support for coal, natural gas, petroleum and nuclear energy which supply a combined 92.5% of America’s electricity (according to the Energy Information Agency). A more stable supply of electricity being returned to the grid from electric cars (the vehicle-to-grid portion of Commissioner Spitzer’s comment), would lead to the grid becoming cleaner over time. The need for polluting, in the case of coal, and nonrenewable resources (including nuclear) will decrease and be removed from the nation’s energy portfolio with the advent of the electricity fed back into the system. The New York Times touches on the issue of when to recharge these vehicles, which could pose a problem for the grid. Vehicles charged during peak demand would draw electricity from base load power sources, i.e. nonrenewable fuels. In addition, if the electricity needed to charge a fleet of electric cars is generated from coal and nuclear, these vehicles would not help clean the grid. As for being the salvation of the auto-industry, consumers will have to buy into the notion that driving these vehicles is not only economically beneficial, but that they are as reliable as the cars and trucks they depend on daily.

- Eric Wilson