Japan’s largest utility and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District have agreed to collaborate on technology for electric vehicle-charging and electrical grid integration of EVs.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc., or TEPCO, and SMUD will share research on maintaining a resilient and reliable power grid while adding the new dimension of widespread car charging.
“As SMUD pushes forward to become the first large utility in the nation to achieve power supply decarbonization, we enthusiastically welcome key partnerships such as this one with TEPCO, an innovative global energy and technology company,” said SMUD CEO Paul Lau, in a news release.
The pending electrification of personal transportation is making the two major utilities work together to avoid grid problems when electric cars become common.
“Every SMUD partnership, whether at the community or global level, is essential to our 2030 Zero Carbon Plan,” Lau said.
Last year, SMUD set a goal to make its energy supply zero-carbon by 2030 to combat climate change and reduce air pollution. That is 15 years ahead of the state’s goal, which is among the most aggressive in the nation.
TEPCO generates and distributes electricity to the Kanto region of Japan, which includes the country’s two largest cities, Tokyo and Yokohama.
“Efficient use of renewable energy and electrification in the transportation sector are two pillars of our shared decarbonization goals,” said Tomomichi Seki, TEPCO managing executive officer, in a news release.
Moving forward, SMUD will get a very large share of its electricity from solar, which peaks around noon and the early afternoon. Much of car charging occurs at the home in the evening.
The two utilities will collaborate and share information from pilot programs for vehicle grid integration of car charging.
Founded 75 years ago, SMUD is the sixth-largest municipal, nonprofit electric utility in the country. Its power supply surpassed 50% carbon-free several years ago.
