SB 233, introduced by Senator Nancy Skinner and sponsored by The Climate Center, aims to unlock the potential for California’s millions of electric vehicles to power homes during outages, lower energy bills for Californians, and make the whole electricity grid more reliable. The bill will require most new electric vehicles (EVs) and electric vehicle supply equipment sold in California to have bidirectional charging capability by 2027.
Bidirectional charging makes it possible for electric vehicles to become “batteries on wheels” — capable of using the energy stored in their batteries to back up the power grid, homes, and businesses.
According to the California Energy Commission, the state expects to have 7.5 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. Currently, only a small fraction of California’s electric vehicle fleet has bidirectional capability. By requiring that most EVs sold by 2027 are bidirectional, California can harness the momentum of a market moving swiftly toward an electrified future.
Committee Location as of March 6, 2023: Rules
Full bill text and related information.
Editorial: California should tap its growing fleet of EVs to prevent blackouts (Los Angeles Times, March 13, 2023)
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