Resource Innovations (RI) and The Mobility House (TMH) are joining forces to lead the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s statewide vehicle-to-everything (V2X) demonstration program. The two-year initiative will deploy bidirectional charging infrastructure to enhance grid resilience, reduce energy costs, and increase renewable energy integration across the state.

Providing Free V2X-Capable Chargers

The program will deploy 100 bidirectional chargers, including to school bus fleet participants. These chargers will activate EVs as mobile energy storage assets, totaling an estimated 1.5 MW of new storage capacity across Massachusetts.

Massachusetts EV owners and fleet operators enrolled in the program will benefit from the deployment of bidirectional chargers capable of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and backup power operations.

“Vehicle-to-everything technology is key to leveraging electric vehicles as assets to the grid, both as a financial resource and improving reliability,” said Rachel Ackerman, senior director of clean transportation at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. “Through a targeted deployment of bidirectional chargers across a variety of sectors, barriers can be quickly identified and resolved, demonstrating a clear pathway for an accelerated application of V2X technology. Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s V2X program is a crucial step in Massachusetts’s efforts to enable wide-scale adoption of electric vehicles."

Participants will receive the bidirectional charging stations, including installation, at no cost to the participant.

Supporting Renewable Energy

The V2G technology supports the transition to renewable energy by charging EVs, including school buses, when renewables are available and discharging from the EV batteries when they are not. The vehicle batteries will also be able to be used to provide power during outages.

These charging systems also open the opportunity for participants to be compensated for sending stored energy to the grid.

“This program activates the potential of EVs as energy storage assets,” said Russell Vare, vice president, vehicle grid integration, The Mobility House North America. “Bidirectional charging benefits vehicle owners by providing backup power and revenue opportunities while strengthening the grid for the entire community.”

This program addresses a critical gap in the adoption of V2X technology by providing and installing the infrastructure at no cost to participants.

Applications for the program are open now through June 2025; more information can be found on the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s V2X Program webpage.