EVs and Energy Shortages: Source or Savior?

When people imagine the United States, the chances are that they don't think of electricity shortages. After all, doesn't the wealthiest population in the entire world have enough electricity to power their iPhones and other first-world technology?

While many Americans view electricity as a necessity of a similar caliber to the air they breathe, the residents of many states experienced widespread energy shortages over the past year. Residents from California to the midwest saw outages and municipal requests to limit their energy consumption. 

What's causing the energy shortages? Could it be related to the increased electricity that electric vehicles (EVs) demand? Finally, how can we prevent energy shortages moving forward? Read on to learn more. 

Causes Behind Energy Shortages?

The energy shortfalls may result from recent efforts to reduce reliance on non-renewable energy sources. While most people know how fossil fuels damage the environment, fewer people understand the implications of switching to renewable energy too quickly. 

The reality is that traditional power plants are retiring at a pace that renewable energy alternatives cannot match. As Mark Rothleder, the COO of California's power grid, said, "We need to make sure that we have sufficient new resources in place and operational before we let some of these retirements go. Otherwise, we are putting ourselves potentially at risk of having insufficient capacity." 

However, even if there were enough manufacturing capacity to churn out solar panels and wind farms at a rate exceeding that of retiring fossil fuels, the energy crisis would still not subside without significant investments in energy storage solutions. The reason for that added layer of complexity is that, unlike fossil fuel energy, current sustainable energy technology has high and low output periods. 

When the sun is shining or the wind is blowing, sustainable sources can generate more energy than the grid needs. However, energy production ceases entirely when the sun sets or the wind stills. Therefore, energy providers must invest in massive energy storage capacity to capture excess electricity and distribute it during times of deficit. 

That additional layer of investment does not nullify the need and the effectiveness of sustainable technology. It shows that more time, R&D, and infrastructure investment are needed before states can entirely retire their fossil fuel energy. 

Are Electric Vehicles Making Matters Worse?

Because electric vehicles' rapid adoption coincides with recent energy shortages, they are a natural factor to consider when determining the causes of energy shortages. After all, every electric vehicle consumes almost as much electricity as a small home, right?

While electric vehicles certainly use more electricity than their fossil-fuel-powered counterparts, they only represent a tiny part of modern-day energy consumption. The roughly 700,000 EVs in California account for less than 1% of overall energy demand. 

Even if there were ten times the number of EVs in California today, the 7,000,000 vehicles would still only use less than 1% of electricity during peak demand and less than 8% of total energy demand. In other words, EVs would use electricity when there is a surplus and not use it during high demand periods. Such usage occurs because most EVs charge overnight when people are asleep, and energy demand is significantly lower than during peak hours of the day. 

Are Electric Vehicles Energy Grid Solutions?

Not only do EVs not contribute to blackouts, but they might just be the solution to energy shortages. As mentioned above, the biggest hurdle for sustainable energy is an investment in expensive batteries to store and distribute excess capacity. However, every EV has a large enough battery to power the average home for over two days.

EV owners can get paid to store and distribute electricity using the same system that solar panels owners use to sell excess electricity back to the grid when they are not using it. When EV owners need a ride to work, their EV functions as a regular car. However, when not using it, the vehicle can passively generate income by selling electricity back to the grid at a premium. 

Such a system would benefit all parties: energy providers could avoid investing in energy storage solutions, EV owners could offset the cost of their car, and the general public would have enough electricity to service their needs. 

Contrary to many people's thoughts about electric vehicles, they may bring stability instead of causing instability to the electric grid. With that in mind, vehicle-to-grid charging may be the next step toward creating a more stable and efficient power grid.