Massachusetts Plugs In: How EVs Are Becoming Power Players on the Grid

NEW YORK, NY – July 23, 2026 – In a move that could redefine the relationship between electric vehicles and the power grid, two of Massachusetts’ largest utilities are testing a program that transforms everyday EVs into active energy assets. Eversource and National Grid have teamed up with technology leaders EnergyHub, Sunrun, and The Mobility House to launch a residential Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) pilot, allowing EV owners to not only draw power from the grid but also sell it back during times of peak demand. This initiative turns parked cars into a distributed network of mobile batteries, creating a virtual power plant with the potential to enhance grid stability, lower costs for all customers, and accelerate the clean energy transition.

The ConnectedSolutions VPP Gets a Jolt

This new V2G pilot is not starting from scratch. Instead, it integrates directly into ConnectedSolutions, a well-established and successful demand response program that already orchestrates a diverse fleet of distributed energy resources (DERs). Described by EnergyHub President Seth Frader-Thompson as “the gold standard for how utilities can scale virtual power plants,” the program unifies assets like smart thermostats and stationary home batteries to reduce grid strain. By adding residential EVs to this mix, the utilities are tapping into a vast and rapidly growing energy reservoir.

ConnectedSolutions primarily operates during peak demand events—typically hot summer afternoons between 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.—when air conditioning use soars and electricity costs spike. During these brief periods, the program calls on its aggregated resources to reduce consumption or provide power, lessening the need to fire up expensive and often carbon-intensive “peaker” power plants. This new pilot will leverage the advanced dispatch capabilities of EnergyHub’s platform, which already manages over 3.5 gigawatts of flexible capacity, to test how V2G technology can be seamlessly woven into this sophisticated energy-balancing act.

“ConnectedSolutions is an important part of our strategy to deliver safe, reliable and affordable service,” said David Roman Ubeda, Senior Program Manager at National Grid. “V2G may provide additional opportunities to customers in support of managing their energy bills while advancing long-term sustainability across Massachusetts.”

Turning Your Driveway into a Decentralized Power Plant

For participating residents, the program transforms their vehicle from a simple mode of transportation into an active, income-generating component of their home’s energy system. With over 150,000 EVs already on Massachusetts roads—and a growing number of new models like the Ford F-150 Lightning and Nissan LEAF offering bidirectional capability—the potential is immense. Participants can earn an average of $1,200 annually by allowing their utility to draw a limited amount of energy from their car's battery during a handful of peak events each summer.

Crucially, the pilot program removes the most significant barrier to entry: cost. The specialized bidirectional chargers and professional installation, which can run from $6,000 to $10,000, are provided to participants at no cost. This incentive structure is designed to attract early adopters and gather critical data on performance and customer behavior. “Vehicle batteries play a critical role in stabilizing the grid, providing backup power to homes, and lowering energy costs for everyone,” noted Chip Silverman, Sunrun’s Director of Grid Services.

Of course, the idea of a utility using a car's battery raises questions, chief among them being battery health. However, industry experts and recent studies suggest that with intelligent management, the impact is minimal. The key lies in the software. Smart V2G systems, like those developed by project partner The Mobility House, operate within conservative parameters, typically using only a small portion of the battery’s capacity (e.g., between a 60-80% state of charge) and avoiding deep discharges. Some research even indicates that V2G can improve battery longevity by preventing the battery from sitting at a 100% charge for extended periods, a condition known to accelerate degradation.

A Blueprint for a National Smart Grid?

The Massachusetts initiative is being closely watched as a potential blueprint for utilities nationwide. It represents a logical evolution from earlier, successful V2G trials with commercial fleets. National Grid is already using the technology with school buses in its ConnectedSolutions program, leveraging their predictable schedules and large batteries to support the grid when they would otherwise be sitting idle. This expansion into the residential sector is the next frontier.

“Electric cars and buses with bidirectional charging have a valuable capability to provide emergency back up power and vehicle-to-grid,” said Russell Vare, VP of Vehicle-Grid Integration at The Mobility House North America. “The ConnectedSolutions program provides an excellent model to incentivize customers to interconnect their EVs to support the grid.”

The broader implication is V2G’s ability to solve one of the biggest challenges of the energy transition: the intermittency of renewables. A large fleet of EVs can act as a giant, distributed sponge, absorbing excess solar and wind power when it’s abundant and inexpensive, then discharging it back to the grid when generation wanes and demand rises. This creates a more flexible and resilient grid without relying solely on massive, centralized battery storage projects.

“ConnectedSolutions is a nation-leading model for implementing virtual power plants, enabling us to actively partner with customers to help ease the strain on the electric grid,” said Tilak Subrahmanian, Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility. “We are excited to test the capabilities we’ve built within ConnectedSolutions on new innovations, such as V2G.”

The Road Ahead: Overcoming Hurdles to Scale

While the promise is significant, the path to widespread V2G adoption has its challenges. One of the primary technical hurdles is interoperability. The industry is still working to move beyond proprietary ecosystems, where a specific EV must be paired with a specific charger, toward universal standards like ISO 15118-20. This will ensure that any V2G-capable vehicle can communicate with any bidirectional charger, giving consumers more choice and accelerating market growth.

Furthermore, the integration of millions of EVs into the grid introduces new cybersecurity considerations. Each connected vehicle is a potential entry point into the energy network, requiring robust, standardized security protocols to protect both consumer data and grid integrity. Finally, the regulatory landscape remains fragmented across the country. Pilots like this one in Massachusetts are critical for providing regulators with the real-world data needed to develop clear rules and fair compensation models that can unlock the full value of V2G at a national scale.

As the pilot unfolds, Massachusetts isn't just testing a new technology; it's actively designing a more resilient, cost-effective, and decentralized energy future, one electric vehicle at a time.