Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), in partnership with Nissan, Fermata Energy, and the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, has launched a demonstration project that integrates electric vehicles (EVs) and bidirectional charging technologies into a microgrid at the Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid (RCAM) in McKinleyville, California. The initiative aims to provide grid support, enhance energy resilience, and offer cost savings for customers.
The project uses two Nissan LEAF vehicles from model years 2020 and 2021 equipped with CHAdeMO quick charge ports and four bidirectional FE-20 charging stations developed by Fermata Energy. These vehicles are part of a pilot program involving the Humboldt County Aviation Division. The EVs can both draw power from the grid for charging and discharge electricity back to the microgrid or grid as needed.
“Integrating bidirectional chargers and EVs at the Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid is an innovative solution that will expand the capacity of the site, extending the capability for powering the airport during local grid outages and providing another clean energy resource for ensuring statewide grid stability,” said Mike Delaney, Vice President, Utility Partnerships and Innovation at PG&E. “The project showcases innovative Vehicle-to-Microgrid (V2M) technologies and demonstrates how EVs can support local energy needs and grid resilience.”
RCAM is jointly operated by PG&E and Redwood Coast Energy Authority. This demonstration represents an industry-first use of automated frequency capabilities with Fermata Energy’s Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) optimization platform integrated into a multi-customer microgrid. It is also part of PG&E’s broader efforts to improve grid resilience.
“At Fermata Energy, we see a real opportunity to transform electric vehicles from simple modes of transportation into critical energy assets. By integrating our intelligent V2X platform and bidirectional chargers, we are delivering measurable cost savings, valuable grid services and enhanced local energy resilience. This pilot provides a scalable blueprint for communities, fleets, and utilities to harness EVs as distributed energy resources, accelerating the transition to a cleaner and more reliable grid in California and beyond,” said Hamza Lemsaddek, Chief Operating Officer of Fermata Energy.
Advanced control systems developed by the Schatz Center allow these EVs to balance solar generation with battery storage in real time within the microgrid environment.
“We are proud to have led the technical integration of this important pilot project that advances local resiliency and deep decarbonization and can play an important role in the community microgrids that are being developed across California’s rural north coast and beyond,” says David Carter, Principal Engineer at the Schatz Energy Research Center.
The two Nissan LEAF vehicles serve county staff for work purposes but are connected to bidirectional chargers when not in use. The batteries help offset electricity costs for Humboldt County by providing stored power back into their facilities or supporting regional electricity demand during periods of stress on California’s power system through participation in programs such as California’s Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP). During these events or when isolated from the main utility grid (“islanded”), new control functions direct whether vehicle batteries should inject power into or absorb excess energy from the microgrid based on battery levels.
“Nissan is proud to collaborate on innovative projects that explore how electric vehicles can contribute to energy resilience and sustainability. This pilot demonstrates the potential for EVs to support local energy needs and grid stability, and we look forward to continuing to work with partners like PG&E to explore these technologies,” said Rich Miller, Vice President, Vehicle Connected Services at Nissan U.S. & Canada.
Project participants expect that results will inform future designs supporting California’s renewable targets—60 percent renewable by 2030 with full transition planned by 2045.
PG&E continues its exploration of V2X applications through additional pilots targeting residential and commercial customers throughout Northern California. Incentives are available under these pilots—including upfront payments plus performance-based rewards—to help offset equipment costs especially in disadvantaged communities identified under Assembly Bill 841. More information about these programs is available on PG&E’s website: Vehicle to Everything (V2X) Pilot Programs.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company serves over sixteen million people across seventy thousand square miles in Northern & Central California (pge.com). Fermata Energy specializes in V2X platforms enabling distributed use of vehicle batteries as flexible resources (fermataenergy.com). The Schatz Center focuses on advancing renewable microgrids including ongoing partnerships with tribal nations along vulnerable distribution circuits (schatzcenter.org/microgrids).
