Distributed Energy Resources, Energy Storage, Industrial  -  September 13, 2022

Massachusetts Adds Vehicle-to-Grid Charging Stations

Western Massachusetts installed the first ever vehicle-to-grid (V2G) bidirectional charging stations in the visitor parking lot outside of FirstLight’s Northfield Mountain Pumped Hydro Storage Station.

The installation also includes two separate, single-directional public EV charging stations.

The V2G installation, the first at a U.S. hydroelectric power facility, includes two bidirectional chargers, controlled by Fermata Energy’s software platform, that can both charge EVs and send energy stored in the EV batteries to the grid. 

The FirstLight operations team has the option to discharge some of the energy stored in the EV batteries to the grid during peak demand times caused by heat waves and other extreme weather events, which also reduces the system’s demand for fossil fuels. 

The Fermata Energy bidirectional charging system also supports the region’s clean energy transition by enabling EV fleet owners to store and discharge energy generated from intermittent renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Fermata Energy, Skyview Ventures, and Eversource to complete the successful installation of these V2G charging stations, which reflect our commitment to embrace new technologies and solutions to accelerate the transition to a clean energy future,” said Alicia Barton, President and CEO of FirstLight in a statement. “As New England’s largest energy storage facility, Northfield Mountain is a fitting setting for this installation, as reaching Massachusetts’ goals of zero carbon emissions by 2050 will require contributions from a wide range of energy storage technologies – this will include large-scale, long-duration storage assets like Northfield Mountain, as well as promising new electric vehicle chargers like those being unveiled today.”

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