An Energy Correspondent Hunts for Alternatives

The Role of Electric Vehicles in Powering Homes during Outages

Introduction

Few things cause more anxiety than flipping on the light switch only to find there’s no power. Power outages have become increasingly common, as the electric grids strain under the pressure of extreme weather events, such as heat waves and cold snaps. As the alternative energy correspondent for The New York Times, I follow the new technologies that consumers use to keep the lights on during these moments, which are becoming more frequent because of climate change.

Using Electric Vehicle Batteries as Backup Power

A once unlikely backup source recently caught my attention: cars. A small number of Americans use the batteries in their electric vehicles to power their homes during an outage. Energy and auto experts told me they expected the method to catch on.

Exploring Alternative Energy Technology in Nashville

For our article, which was published last week, we wanted to see how alternative energy technology was being used in other areas of the United States. We picked Nashville, a place not known for electric vehicles, home batteries, or solar panels.

Engaging with Readers and Finding Sources

Connecting with readers in articles about utilities and energy is tricky. Poles and wires are not typically the sexiest of topics in a world of high-stakes politics, war, social media, and the glamour of Hollywood. So I look for people who can help walk readers through the topic in an engaging way.

On a regular basis, I check in with my network of sources, peruse emails, and chat with various companies about the latest developments in alternative energy. For this article, I cast a fairly wide net; a contact at Schneider Electric suggested I reach out to a few homes using E.V. batteries, including people who lived in California and New Jersey.

The Reigard Family’s Experience in Mount Juliet

But it was John and Rachelle Reigard, of Mount Juliet, Tenn., just outside Nashville, who caught our attention. Blackouts happen frequently in Mount Juliet during bad weather, and the Reigard family wanted a backup system. They considered a generator but opted for an electric vehicle: a Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck that they would use not only for transportation but as a power source for their home if the electric grid were to fail.

The Benefits of Electric Vehicles as Backup Power

“The truck is the battery,” John Reigard said, a hint of pride in his voice. The family purchased the F-150 Lightning just over a year ago, and they have lost power several times since. But each time, within minutes of the lights going out, the F-150 powered all the essentials in their six-bedroom, four-bathroom house, besides the air-conditioner. They loved the electric truck so much that they bought 10 more for their construction business, saving them about $300 a month per vehicle on fuel and maintenance costs that they would have spent on gasoline-powered trucks, they said.

The Perspective of Utility Industry Experts

Closer to home, I interviewed Pedro Pizarro, chairman of the board for the Edison Electric Institute, a utility industry trade organization, and president of Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison. Over the last few years, Southern California Edison, one of California’s three investor-owned utilities, experienced or faced the threat of rolling blackouts during the summer months because of extreme heat. Mr. Pizarro welcomed the consumer resource to help avoid the need to cut power during high demand.

“This is a really interesting, exciting, attractive opportunity,” Mr. Pizarro said. “We think that electric vehicles can interact with the grid in a whole number of ways.”

Conclusion

I’ve spent half of my 31 years as a reporter covering utilities and energy. The industries I report on change faster with each year. When I started on this beat, I didn’t predict our cars would become part of the electricity system, but with E.V.s becoming a kind of Swiss Army knife for consumer energy, my combustion engine might go electric sooner than later.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
• SDG 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable.
• SDG 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters.
• SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 7.2: Proportion of total final energy consumption from renewable sources.
• Indicator for SDG 9.4: Proportion of industries upgraded to sustainable practices.
• Indicator for SDG 11.5: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
• Indicator for SDG 13.1: Number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: nytimes.com

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