ComEd, a Chicago-based utility company, announced the start of its vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging pilot’s testing phase with three Illinois school districts. 

According to a release, the pilot is the first of its kind in northern Illinois. Running through the end of Q4 2025, ComEd will leverage data collected from these advanced, bidirectional chargers to examine the technology that could unleash the possibility of discharging energy stored in electric school buses safely and effectively back to the grid. Bidirectional charging could allow school districts in the future to reduce their load during peak energy demand periods, helping customers lower both energy usage and costs.

The project will power more than 4.3 million ComEd customers and three school districts across northern Illinois. V2G testing began recently with River Trails, Troy, and Wauconda School Districts.

“Troy CCSD 30-C is proud to partner with ComEd on this innovative Vehicle-to-Grid pilot. Our district is committed to pursuing sustainable solutions that enhance student learning and transportation while safeguarding taxpayer resources,” said Ben Hettel, executive director of operations, Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C. “By helping advance vehicle-to-grid technology, we are investing in strategies that will deliver long-term benefits for our district and the stakeholders we serve.”

ComEd worked with Resource Innovations and charging vendor Nuvve to identify pilot participants and test V2G capabilities utilizing electric school buses. Each of the three school districts were Nuvve charging customers with a V2G-capable electric school bus and charger prior to the start of the pilot, making them ideal participants for this study.

"As one of the early adopters of electric buses in Illinois, we've faced our share of challenges over the past three years. We're hopeful that, with the continued support of the ComEd and Nuvve teams, we are finally turning a corner toward realizing the full potential of our electric bus program,” said Rick Strauss, director of transportation, Wauconda CUSD 118.

“Together with River Trails, Troy, and Wauconda school districts, we are showing how electric school buses can lower operating costs for schools, provide real support to the grid during peak demand, and create a scalable model for communities across Illinois," said Hamza Lemsaddek, COO, Fermata Energy — a Nuvve Company. "Looking ahead, we see applications that extend beyond school fleets to other customer segments, turning parked EVs into flexible, reliable energy resources.”

The V2G pilot is one of eight pilots outlined in ComEd’s multiyear Beneficial Electrification (BE) Plan with a goal of reaching 1 million EVs on the roads by 2030. ComEd announced its recently approved second BE plan, which continues investments started as part of BE Plan 1 and prioritizes funding for V2G as part of its BE Research and Development Program for the years 2026-2028. The plan has helped fund the expansion of EVs and charging projects in over 340 ZIP codes across Illinois. 

ComEd is seeking input from other Illinois school districts to better understand how future V2G opportunities could support their needs. School districts can share their interest by submitting this Interest Form. As the pilot progresses, the company plans to host informational webinars and surveys to explain V2G technology.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on Feb. 6, 2025, and was updated on Sept. 11, 2025.