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This is a well written story in the Pasadena Star News about how the utilities are gearing up for the coming plug-in vehicles. While many people are wringing their hands over how the grid, old and cranky as it is, will be able to handle the millions of EVs that will be on our roads in the years to come, several forward-thinking utilities are beginning to implement the smart meters that will enable the grid to handle the added load by timing the charging to when the capacity is there to handle it. [caption id="attachment_1558" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Ed Kjaer, the director of electric transportation for Southern California Edison, demonstrates how the Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle or MiEV plugs into their Garage of the Future at their Electric Vehicle Technical Center in Pomona on Thursday, January 22, 2009. (Photo by Eric Tom)"][/caption]

"The idea is for electric cars to take advantage of "off-peak" hours of low energy demand late at night, when the lights are out and TVs are off, but power plants are still producing, explained Ed Kjaer, director of electric transportation at Edison."

The new digital meters are being installed by the thousands in many utility districts, and in SoCal Edison's case, they expect to be fully installed by 2012. That should be in plenty of time since even the most optimistic of us (that would be me:~) don't expect much more than a million vehicles delivered nationwide by 2012. To be honest, we'll be very lucky to see that many. The grid today could handle many millions of EVs charging late at night when rates are lowest. While the timing of charging can be handled through the use of these smart meters, this does not preclude the need for upgrading the grid, a project that will save massive numbers of kWh that are currently being wasted due to the incredibly old and cobbled together grid we've got now. By 2012, we should have made some progress on this, just in time to re-elect Obama to his second term. Paul Here's the full text of the entire article, in case the link goes bad: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_11539009 Smart meters and electric cars: a match made in efficiency By Rebecca Kimitch, Staff Writer Posted: 01/23/2009 02:49:34 PM PST Edward Kjaer, the director of electric transportation for Southern California Edison, demonstrates how the Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle or MiEV plugs into their Garage of the Future at their Electric Vehicle Technical Center in Pomona on Thursday, January 22, 2009. The garage studies the integration of the electric vehicle into the power grid system where it either charges or discharges to accommodate the owner's electricity needs. (Eric Tom, Correspondent) The picture of our carbon-free energy future is often depicted by a sea of solar panels shimmering in the sun, or orderly lines of giant white wind mills covering a hillside: large structures that capture nature's gifts. But an increasingly important energy resource is little more than a digital electric meter. And it is this meter that will make possible the widespread use of electric vehicles, according to representatives of Rosemead-based Southern California Edison. Automakers unveiled more than a dozen production-ready, plug-in electric and hybrid electric vehicles at the Detroit auto show earlier this month, many of which will be on dealership lots between 2010 and 2012. Several automakers, including Ford, have partnered with Edison to ensure those cars can get their electricity from somewhere. "When we look at the electrification of vehicles, there are a lot of different issues involved," said Ford spokeswoman Jennifer Moore. "There is the technology, there is the market, but there is a bigger question than that: it's also very much about connecting to the nation's (electrical) grid and where the electricity comes from." With a national electrical system that at times and places is severely strained and in need of expansion, the last thing anyone wants is for electric vehicles to be powered by building more emission-producing power plants. Edison's answer: new meters. The idea is for electric cars to take advantage of "off-peak" hours of low energy demand late at night, when the lights are out and TVs are off, but power plants are still producing, explained Ed Kjaer, director of electric transportation at Edison. "We have a huge amount of generation capacity in the U.S.," Kjaer said. "But it is an inefficient system. You have to build power plants to meet the peaks when every single air conditioner is going full blast." Though some types of power generation can easily be Edward Kjaer, the director of electric transportation for Southern California Edison, describes some of the systems that are used in their Garage of the Future at their Electric Vehicle Technical Center in Pomona. (Eric Tom, Correspondent) turned off and on, others like nuclear and wind continue producing whether the electricity is used or not. Studies have found that electric vehicles could be charged with electricity produced under the current system, if done at the right time, agreed National Resources Defense Council scientist Simon Mui. It might seem that simply plugging in your Chevy Volt or Ford Escape before bedtime would do. But increased use of electric vehicles could lead to everyone plugging in at the same time, peaking demand and complicating things, particularly if electric vehicles take hold of entire neighborhoods, as car trends often do, Kjaer explained. So instead, Edison and auto manufacturers are turning to "smart metering" technologies. Such technologies allow consumers and, potentially appliances, to be aware of how much electricity is being consumed everywhere so that they can try to consume when other people are not. While traditional meters do nothing more than report to electric utilities how much electricity is consumed in a given amount of time, smart meters give real-time information and allow for two-way communication between the power grid and consumers. This would allow utilities to stagger when electric cars are charging, or charge up power all at once if generation is high. Plug-in hybrids require about as many annual kilowatt hours of power as two or three plasma TVs or air conditioners, according to Mark Duvall, director of electric transportation for the Electric Power Research Institute. Edison figures it will have smart meters installed in all its customers' homes by the end of 2012, in compliance with California Public Utility Commission requirements. Smart meters have uses far beyond electric vehicles. Future appliances, such as dishwashers or dryers, could also react to real- time electricity use before deciding when to power on. Because wind typically blows harder at night, environmentalists are particularly excited about its potential on such a system, Mui said. To be sure, smart meters alone will not produce highways full of electric cars. The sticker prices of all-electric and plug-in hybrids will be well beyond the reach of average consumers for several years, hardly dipping below $30,000, Kjaer said. Early support from those who can afford them, as well as the federal government, will be necessary, he said. The economic stimulus package currently before Congress could include incentives for both buyers of electric vehicles and electric vehicle battery manufacturers. While it is not the first time a future of electric cars has been on the horizon, industry experts say this time its for real. "I have never before felt that we were at this point," Duvall said. "The auto industry is aligned, the public is aligned, even the president is aligned. He even knows what a plug-in hybrid is." "We are dealing now with a perfect storm," agreed Kjaer. Energy security, the politics and marketing of oil and concerns about climate change are creating an unprecedented global push toward electric vehicles. And President Barack Obama told the country during his inaugural address: "We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories." And we will use meters. rebecca.kimitch@sgvn.com (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2105