GM and PG&E Paving the Way to Turn Electric Vehicles into Home Energy Assets

Rhea-AI Summary

GM and PG&E have launched a residential Vehicle-to-Everything pilot program in Northern and Central California, offering up to $4,500 in incentives for qualifying GM Energy home products with bidirectional charging capability. The program allows compatible GM EVs to power homes during outages and potentially support grid resiliency.

Eligible vehicles include the 2024 models of Chevrolet Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Blazer EV, Cadillac Lyriq EV, GMC Sierra, and 2025 Cadillac Lyriq EV, with plans to add all 2025 EV models. The collaboration aims to evaluate bidirectional technology's potential for customer value and grid support, while participating customers can receive additional incentives through planned backup power events and continued enrollment.

Positive

• New revenue stream potential through $4,500 customer incentives program
• Strategic partnership expanding GM's presence in energy solutions market
• Technology demonstration potential to scale across California market
• Multiple EV models already compatible with the program

Negative

• Program to specific geographic regions (Northern and Central California)
• Initial rollout restricted to select vehicle models
• Technology benefits still in evaluation phase, not yet proven at scale

Insights

Utility Infrastructure Expert

This partnership with GM represents a strategic advancement for PG&E in grid resilience technology. The Vehicle-to-Everything (V2E) pilot program leverages EVs as distributed energy resources that can supply power back to homes during outages and potentially balance grid demand in the future. For PG&E, this has multiple benefits:

The incentive structure - offering customers up to $4,500 off qualifying GM Energy home products - creates a compelling adoption path for this technology while generating valuable data on bidirectional charging patterns. This data will help PG&E evaluate both customer benefits and grid resilience impacts.

What's particularly significant is how this positions PG&E as an innovation leader in vehicle-grid integration. California utilities face unique challenges with renewable energy intermittency and fire-season reliability issues. Distributed backup power from thousands of EVs could eventually create a virtual power plant effect, reducing the need for peaker plants and potentially lowering infrastructure costs.

The regulatory alignment is also noteworthy. As California pushes ambitious electrification goals, PG&E demonstrates proactive engagement with technology that supports grid stability amid increasing EV adoption. While the immediate financial impact appears minimal, this pilot establishes infrastructure and customer relationships that could scale into significant operational benefits if bidirectional charging becomes standardized.

Energy Technology Analyst

This GM-PG&E partnership showcases a strategic implementation of vehicle-to-home (V2H) technology with meaningful implications. The program's structure reveals a thoughtful approach to market development - providing substantial $4,500 incentives directly addresses the cost barrier for bidirectional charging equipment while creating a test bed for real-world performance data.

The technology architecture is compelling. Bidirectional charging transforms EVs from grid liabilities into grid assets. During normal operations, EVs consume significant electricity, but this pilot enables them to discharge stored energy during grid constraints. This functions as a form of demand response without requiring behavior changes from consumers.

For PG&E specifically, this represents a potential solution to several operational challenges. California's duck curve - the demand surge when solar production drops in early evening - creates grid stability issues. EV batteries could help flatten this curve. Additionally, the program addresses resiliency concerns in a region prone to Public Safety Power Shutoffs and natural disasters.

The inclusion of multiple GM vehicle models (Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Blazer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, GMC Sierra) suggests this isn't merely a niche experiment but a pathway toward mainstream deployment. While immediate revenue impact for PG&E appears , the strategic value in pioneering grid-interactive technology positions them favorably in the evolving utility landscape.

OAKLAND, Calif., March 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- General Motors has joined Pacific Gas & Electric Company's (PG&E) residential Vehicle-to-Everything pilot program, providing eligible customers in Northern and Central California with incentivized pricing for qualifying GM Energy home energy products.

GM Energy is working with utilities like PG&E to leverage GM's bidirectional EV charging technology, which allows compatible GM EVs to supply power back to homes during outages and, in the future, can support the grid by helping balance energy demand, with the goal of ultimately helping improve overall grid resiliency.

Customers enrolled in PG&E's residential Vehicle-to-Everything pilot program can receive up to $4,500 in incentives off the price of qualifying GM Energy home products that enable bidirectional charging, such as the GM Energy V2H Bundle or Home System. Customers may also be eligible for additional incentives by participating in planned backup power events and by maintaining enrollment through the end of the pilot program.

"For Northern California customers looking to take more control of their home energy, this program with PG&E represents a great opportunity," said GM Energy Vice President Wade Sheffer. "For utilities, legislators, customers and others, this pilot is an opportunity to see the full value of our V2H technology beyond just providing power to a home during power outages. This can be a tool that helps overall grid resiliency and showcases the unique advantages of EVs while, in the future, may even reduce the overall total cost of EV ownership."

Charging data from the program will help PG&E and GM Energy evaluate the potential for bidirectional technology to provide value to customers and supporting grid resiliency, and to help scale bidirectional technology programs in California.

"PG&E is leading the way to enable vehicle-grid-integration technology creating a path for EVs to power customer homes, ultimately benefiting all Californians," said Mike Delaney, Vice President, Utility Partnerships and Innovation, PG&E. "We are proud to continue leading this electric renaissance as we collaborate with automakers and some of the world's top innovators to pioneer bidirectional charging technology where EVs have the potential to offer greater reliability, resiliency and cost savings." 

GM EVs eligible for the program at the time of launch include the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV, 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, 2024 Cadillac Lyriq EV, 2024 GMC Sierra, and 2025 Cadillac Lyriq EV. GM anticipates adding all model year 2025 EVs to the pilot program soon.

To learn more about the pilot program or how to enroll, please visit GM Energy Enrollment Portal.

About GM
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM's Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry's widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than sixteen million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news  

 

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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company

FAQ

How much can PG&E customers save on GM Energy home products through the Vehicle-to-Everything program?

Eligible customers can receive up to $4,500 in incentives off qualifying GM Energy home products that enable bidirectional charging.

Which GM electric vehicles are eligible for PG&E's Vehicle-to-Everything pilot program in 2024?

Eligible vehicles include 2024 models of Chevrolet Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Blazer EV, Cadillac Lyriq EV, and GMC Sierra, plus the 2025 Cadillac Lyriq EV.

What are the benefits of GM's bidirectional charging technology for PG&E customers?

The technology allows EVs to power homes during outages, support grid resiliency, and may reduce overall EV ownership costs in the future.

What is the purpose of PG&E and GM's Vehicle-to-Everything pilot program?

The program evaluates bidirectional technology's potential for customer value and grid support, while helping scale this technology across California.