“The truck is the battery,” proudly declared John Reigard.
Just over a year ago, the Reigard family purchased the F-150 Lightning, and they’ve experienced several power outages since then. From Christmas-time to a winter storm in March, and even a summer day when their daughter was home alone, each time the truck came to the rescue, powering the essentials in their large home, except for the air-conditioner. The family was so impressed with the electric truck that they bought 10 more for their construction business, saving them approximately $300 per month for each vehicle in fuel and maintenance costs compared to traditional gasoline-powered trucks.
To further explore the impact of electric vehicles on the grid, I interviewed Pedro Pizarro, Chairman of the Board for the Edison Electric Institute, as well as the President of Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison.
Southern California Edison, one of California’s three investor-owned utilities, has faced rolling blackouts during the summer due to extreme heat. While utilities typically seek large-scale solutions for such challenges, Mr. Pizarro welcomed the idea of utilizing consumer resources to avoid the need for power cuts during high demand periods.
“This is an exciting opportunity,” expressed Mr. Pizarro. “We believe that electric vehicles have the potential to interact with the grid in numerous ways.”
Having dedicated half of my 31-year career as a reporter to covering utilities and energy, I’ve witnessed the rapid transformations in these industries. Initially, I never anticipated that cars would become integrated into the electricity system. However, with electric vehicles proving to be versatile tools for consumer energy, it’s quite possible that my own combustion engine will be replaced by an electric one in the near future.
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