February 19, 2025

Standard Will Accelerate Electrification by Improving Grid Resilience    

ARLINGTON, Va. — Today, NEMA announced the publication of its Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Power Export Permitting Standard, defining the technical parameters to allow electric vehicle owners to utilize their vehicles as mobile energy storage units and sell excess energy back to the grid. The standard outlines characteristics for equipment to enable two-way, or bidirectional charging, as opposed to the traditional one-way flow of electricity to the vehicle, effectively allowing electric vehicles to transfer power back to the grid.    

The standard defines characteristics in key domains, electrical, communications, and cybersecurity, for permitting of power export between EVSE and an electric power system. With bidirectional, or vehicle to grid (V2G) and vehicle to building/home (V2B, V2H) technology, electric vehicles act as energy storage devices on wheels, or mobile energy storage units to power homes, buildings, and the grid itself. Additionally, the standard could put money back in electric vehicle owners' pockets by making it easier for cars to store energy at night or when turned off and then sell power back to grids at a profit during peak hours.   

“Advancing bidirectional charging technologies will play a pivotal role in improving our nation’s grid resiliency and help electric vehicle owners use their cars for more than just getting from point A to point B,” said Patrick Hughes, Senior Vice President, Technical Affairs, NEMA. “NEMA’s Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Power Export Permitting Standard is an important tool to reach these goals, and local jurisdictions should reference this standard when permitting these systems.” 

“The new Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Power Export Permitting Standard provides a vital guideline that increases safety among installations of electric vehicles where power is both imported and exported. As a member of NEMA's EVSE Power Export Working Group, I was proud to work with my colleagues to create this standard that will bolster safety, boost resiliency, and help consumers," said David Kendall, Director – Industry Affairs, ABB.   

NEMA’s Mobility Sector developed this standard as a resource to bolster grid resiliency and to reflect the realities of today’s electrification landscape.

For more information on the standard, visit here.