SB 59 — introduced by Senator Nancy Skinner and sponsored by The Climate Center, Union of Concerned Scientists, and NUVVE — aims to unlock the potential for California’s millions of electric vehicles to shore up the electric grid, power homes during outages, and lower energy bills for Californians. The bill would authorize the California Energy Commission (CEC) to require that electric vehicles (EVs) sold in California have bidirectional capability.
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 CEC, the state expects to have 7 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. Currently, only a small percentage of California’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.
Status: Signed by the governor on September 27, 2024. Read his signing statement here.
