California Energy Commission Approves $100 Million for Bidirectional Vehicle-to-Grid EV Charging

SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Energy Commission (CEC) voted unanimously 4–0 to approve a $100 million grant solicitation under the Clean Transportation Program, funding the installation of bidirectional Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) DC fast-charging infrastructure across 250 public school bus yards and municipal fleet facilities.

Turning Electric School Buses into Giant Neighborhood Batteries

The funding packages enable commercial electric school bus and municipal truck fleets to charge overnight during low-cost surplus renewable energy hours and discharge up to 500 megawatts of clean stored electricity back into local distribution grids during peak summer 4 PM to 9 PM net peak demand periods. Participating school districts will receive automated compensation payments from utilities under California's Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP), earning up to $15,000 per bus annually in electricity revenue.

CEC Chair David Hochschild stated that bidirectional electric vehicles transform parked fleets into virtual power plants, keeping the lights on during heat waves while cutting school district operating budgets.

Clean Transportation Advocates and School Districts Praise

California School Boards Association leaders celebrated the program for generating new revenue to support classroom education.

Electric vehicle software providers praised the standardized Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) bidirectional grid interoperability rules.

Grant Application Intake

CEC grant applications for school districts and fleet operators open on October 1, 2026.