Nuvve Holding Corp., a global cleantech company that has developed an intelligent energy platform, and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) announced an agreement planned to reduce constraints on California's energy grid while supporting local school districts by pairing Nuvve's vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology and services with the utility's Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP).

Through this partnership, electric school bus fleets (ESBs) equipped with V2G charging through Nuvve's GIVe platform can provide energy back to the grid during emergency load reduction events, allowing customers to participate in energy conservation efforts in the event of a grid emergency and get paid for their load reduction results.

"Nuvve's powerful energy aggregator provides a great revenue-generating opportunity to customers, while also guaranteeing that EVs will always be properly charged and ready to drive for school routes," said Gregory Poilasne, co-founder and CEO of Nuvve. "Electric school buses offer a natural and compelling bi-directional charging solution born from their batteries, which are equipped with a substantial amount of energy storage capacity. In addition, the operating needs for ESBs play a critical role – while the buses are plugged in and not being driven, they can be helping the grid when energy demand rates are typically at their highest."

In response to increased demand for energy statewide, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) proposed ELRP to encourage business customers with generally larger energy loads to help reduce energy usage during an emergency situation. SDG&E allows business customers to voluntarily reduce peak energy load by giving energy back to grid, reducing grid stress. Combined with Nuvve's V2G technology, qualifying SDG&E customers can participate in ELRP and receive $2 per kWh for verified load reduction in the process.

Participation from ESB fleets will allow these districts to qualify for potential revenues, helping offset the cost of their electric fleet conversions and/or funnel the savings back into the classroom. School districts within SDG&E's service territory interested in school bus electrification and ELRP should contact Nuvve at info@nuvve.com to get the process started.