SMUD to Collaborate with Japan’s TEPCO on Vehicle-Grid Integration Technologies

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 9, 2022

California public power utility SMUD and the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), Japan’s largest electric utility, on Nov. 2 announced an agreement to collaborate on vehicle-grid integration technologies with the purpose of accelerating transportation electrification and decarbonization.

The Memorandum of Understanding between SMUD and TEPCO establishes a framework for shared research and collaboration on how to expand and support EV adoption and vehicle-to-everything technology while maintaining a resilient and reliable power grid.

The collaboration also aims to enhance solar consumption initiatives, reduce on-peak load, prevent strain on distribution infrastructure, increase customer bill savings and share the grid value of these services with customers.

With respect to grid planning, operations, interconnection and utility and customer financial impacts, SMUD and TEPCO will study, develop and pilot complementary programs that further account for, and promote, vehicle-grid integration technologies.

Automated EV load management, managed EV charging, bidirectional EV charging and other advanced grid services also grant customers access to backup power resources for their homes or businesses and Virtual Power Plant technology for battery aggregation in a manner that bolsters grid stability and systemwide decarbonization, TEPCO said in a news release.