How Electric Vehicles Can Fix the Grid
Researchers at Columbia Engineering are working on vehicle-to-grid technology that would use idle vehicles to re-enter energy into the grid. photo: Jacob Hader
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, accounting for about one-third of all emissions.We can quickly reduce these emissions by electric carbut there’s only one hurdle: we’re currently not generating enough electricity.
“If all transportation is electrified, we’re effectively doubling demand,” said Matthew Prindell, an electric vehicle specialist at Columbia Engineering. “And the grid wasn’t built to withstand this.”
Despite some investment and expansion since the 1950s, the U.S. grid has mostly aging generator sets and maximizes transmission loads due to crowded line. To make matters worse, extreme weather events such as heat wave and wildfire many times melted power cable.
The U.S. will have to invest $125 billion by 2030 to meet the growing demand for electricity from electric vehicles. Study in 2020. But what if EVs themselves could be part of the solution, adding electricity to the grid? columbia news Talked to Preindl, professor of electrical engineering, and Daniel BienstockProfessor of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, and Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research.
Read the full article on Columbia News
