SACRAMENTO — Last night, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 59 (Skinner) into law. SB 59 authorizes the California Energy Commission (CEC) to require that classes of electric vehicles (EVs) sold in California have bidirectional charging capability, which makes it possible to use the enormous amount of energy stored in EV batteries to shore up the power grid and back up homes and businesses as the state faces more outages from climate extremes.
SB 59 was co-sponsored by The Climate Center, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Nuvve.
“After another summer of deadly heat waves and wildfires, Californians will soon be able to rely on electric vehicle batteries to avoid blackouts instead of dirty fossil fuels,” said Ellie Cohen, CEO of The Climate Center. “Putting more bidirectional electric vehicles on the road will help California keep the lights on, clean the air, and lower prices for ratepayers. We thank Governor Newsom for signing this foundational bill into law and Senator Skinner for her climate leadership.”
“The switch to electric vehicles is reducing emissions from transportation and EVs also have the potential to be a clean energy resource,” said Samantha Houston, senior analyst for the Clean Transportation program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “SB 59 is a critical first step toward ensuring all new EVs in California are capable of bidirectional charging so their batteries can power homes, buildings, and even the grid — boosting resilience and reliability as climate change fuels more extreme weather and wildfires. Senator Nancy Skinner has shown great climate leadership in sponsoring this bill and Governor Newsom’s decision to sign it into law will ensure California remains at the forefront of the clean energy transition.”
“I am proud of our work supporting SB 59,” said Gregory Poislane, CEO of Nuvve. “It supports all the core reasons why I started Nuvve. Electric vehicles are a great opportunity to drastically reduce transportation-related emissions. Bidirectional EVs can help lower energy costs for everyone.”
According to the CEC, California expects to have 7 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. Currently, only a small percentage of the state’s electric vehicle fleet has bidirectional capability. By authorizing the CEC to require EVs to be bidirectional capable, California can harness the momentum of a market moving swiftly toward an electrified future.
Putting more bidirectional vehicles on the road will also help reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Today, California relies on polluting gas peaker plants, located in frontline communities, when the electrical grid is strained. Home and business owners are increasingly turning to diesel generators when the power goes out. With the ability to keep the lights on and stabilize the power grid, bidirectional EVs can help California phase out these polluting alternatives.
ENDS
Notes:
The full bill text, a fact sheet, and letters of support for SB 59 can be found here.
Contact:
Ryan Schleeter, Communications Director, The Climate Center: ryan@theclimatecenter.org, (415) 342-2386
About The Climate Center:
The Climate Center is a climate and energy policy nonprofit working to rapidly reduce climate pollution at scale, starting in California. We are a think-tank, do-tank working to turn bold ideas into action for a climate-safe future. Our flagship Climate-Safe California campaign is a unique and comprehensive effort to make California the first state in the nation to reach carbon negative. www.theclimatecenter.org
About the Union of Concerned Scientists:
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is a national nonprofit organization founded more than 50 years ago by scientists and students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Our mission is to put rigorous, independent science into action, develop solutions and advocate for a healthy, safe, and just future. UCS is a group of nearly 250 scientists, analysts, policy experts, organizers, and communicators dedicated to combating the biggest challenges facing humankind.
About Nuvve:
Founded in 2010, Nuvve Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: NVVE) has successfully deployed vehicle-to-grid (V2G) on five continents, offering turnkey electrification solutions for fleets of all types. Nuvve combines the world’s most advanced V2G technology and an ecosystem of electrification partners, delivering new value to electric vehicle (EV) owners, accelerating the adoption of EVs, and supporting a global transition to clean energy. Nuvve is making the grid more resilient, transforming EVs into mobile energy storage assets, enhancing sustainable transportation, and supporting energy equity in an electrified world. Nuvve is headquartered in San Diego, California and can be found online at nuvve.com.
