Payment for bidirectional charging of energy storage containers used for agricultural irrigation

What is Bidi charging?

Bidirectional (BiDi) charging allows electric vehicles (EVs) to provide energy back to buildings or the grid. With BiDi, an EV can act as a mobile energy storage unit. Common forms of BiDi include “Vehicle to Grid” (V2G), “Vehicle to Home” (V2H) and “Vehicle to Everything” (V2X).

Is bidirectional charging legal?

In the United States, the legal situation for bidirectional charging is improving, led by federal and state initiatives. The current administration has put forth standards for a National Electric Vehicle Charging Network. This signals strong support for EV infrastructure and BiDi.

Should federal facilities use managed and bidirectional charging?

Federal facilities and their fleets serve critical missions that may be compromised or require backup power in the event of a grid outage. As the federal government moves toward fleet electrification, site decarbonization, and deployment of local distributed energy resources (DERs), agencies should consider both managed and bidirectional charging.

How can bidirectional charging reach its full potential?

For bidirectional (BiDi) charging to reach its full potential, helpful legislation is critical. Governments and regulatory bodies need to create new legal frameworks. These should lower barriers to entry while encouraging both drivers and energy providers to adopt BiDi systems.