Officials from the electric and automotive industries and academia spent January 26, 2009 at PJM discussing the promise and challenges of integrating plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the grid and the transportation system. The PHEV Executive Summit was sponsored by PJM and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
Attendees were leaders from major power companies, representatives from major automotive manufacturers, industry innovators and federal and state regulators. They discussed potential policy issues related to PHEVs and other forms of stored energy technology as well as explored the infrastructure changes needed to support these new technologies.
Terry Boston, PJM president and CEO, noted that if gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles were replaced by plug-in vehicles today, U.S. carbon emissions could be reduced by 60 percent. "We need to bring the industries together, the automobile industry and the electrical industry," he said.
Boston also said that the technology can help meet consumer needs and improve how the electric grid operates. Smart grid technology will be needed to deliver signals to devices and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Jon Wellinghoff, recently appointed acting chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said that when electric vehicles are connected to the grid by being plugged in, a two-way power flow is possible. This would enable utilities to buy power from vehicle owners during the day; this could cut the payback period for electric vehicles in half, to as little as three years. "They [the utilities] help the consumer pay for these cars," he said. Based on average electricity prices, a plug-in electric vehicle could be run for the equivalent of 60-cents-a-gallon gasoline, he added.
The event included a demonstration of the Mid-Atlantic Grid-Interactive Car Consortium’s (MAGICC) prototype, a converted all-electric Toyota Scion. PJM is a member of the consortium. Also demonstrated was AES Corp.'s trailer-mounted, one-megawatt battery array. The battery facility provides regulation service to the PJM grid.
Other speakers included officials from EPRI, General Motors, Ford, Progress Energy and Southern California Edison. Dr. Ake Almgren, a PJM Board member, also spoke at the summit.
The demonstration and dialogue came as the nation is facing challenging economic times, a new look at national energy policy and a consumer call for a lower carbon footprint - all driving the need for a car that is less dependent on foreign oil, potentially earns revenue for its owner and doesn’t emit carbon.
EPRI-PJM PHEV Summit Proceedings (PDF)
Below is the agenda and the presentations provided at this summit.
| Welcome |
Terry Boston, President and CEO, PJM Interconnection |
| Future Vision of PHEV integration with the Grid |
FERC Commissioner Jon Wellinghoff |
| Electric Transportation - Infrastructure Needs for a Low Carbon Future |
Arshad Mansoor, Ph.D., Vice President - Power Delivery & Utilization, EPRI |
|
Near Term Challenges of Commercializing Plug-In Vehicles from an Automotive Perspective |
Tony Posawatz – Vehicle Line Director, General Motors |
| Near Term Challenges of Commercializing Plug-In Vehicles from a Utility perspective |
Michael Ligett – Director, Market and Energy Services, Progress Energy |
| PHEV Escape Project Overview |
Greg Frenette - PHEV Chief Engineer, Ford |
| Q&A Session |
Jon Wellinghoff, Tony Posawatz, Michael Ligett, Greg Frenette, Edward Kjaer |
| Electrifying Transportation - Role of the electricity sector |
Edward Kjaer – Director, Electric Transportation, Southern California Edison |
| Working Together – Utility and Automotive Industry Collaboration |
Britta Gross – Manager, Vehicle Infrastructure, General Motors |
| Plug-In Hybrids Crossing the Chasm |
Dr. Ake Almgren |
| PHEV/Grid Integration – Status of Communication Standardization Activities |
Mark Duvall – Director, Electric Transportation and Energy Storage |