Featured Post from University of Delaware

New report proves earning potential of EVs equipped with vehicle-to-grid technology

Apr 16, 2026

5 min

Willett Kempton
CaptionResizeWrap TextRemove


The University of Delaware, Exelon Corporation/Delmarva Power and collaborators have released a new report showing that electric vehicles equipped with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology can be profitable for private owners and businesses alike, with data from real electricity markets to back up the claims.


The report is the outcome of a pilot program announced in 2024 by UD, and completed at the offices of Delmarva Power, which is part of Exelon Corporation, to confirm the value of V2G services to the grid.


Among the key findings: the collaborators report that a V2G-enabled passenger electric vehicle (EV) could earn as much as $3,359 per year, based on 2021-2025 market prices, for storing and supplying energy to the electric grid during times of need, otherwise known as providing grid services. Heavier vehicles, such as fleet vehicles, delivery trucks or school buses, could earn over $9,000 per year, per vehicle.


That’s a powerful income generator, given that privately owned vehicles are parked 96% of the time, on average, in the United States. Company fleet vehicles — even those operating 40 hours per week — remain stationary 75% of the average work week.


The pilot, which included collaborators Ford Motor Company, the region’s electric grid operator PJM Interconnection, and aggregator Nuvve Corp., was tested using a small fleet of Delmarva Power EVs retrofitted with the bidirectional charging technology and a new advanced communications standard.


The term “bidirectional charging” means that the V2G technology enables electric vehicle batteries to store extra energy from the electric grid when there is a surplus and to discharge that energy back to the grid when it is needed. In this way, V2G-enabled EVs can help the grid stay balanced, strengthening grid resilience and reliability, especially during peak demand and extreme weather events. New PJM rules allow properly certified EVs to provide this balancing and be paid for it — and the pilot proved they can meet these requirements and be paid for the service.


For UD Professor Willett Kempton, who invented the V2G technology with colleagues at the University nearly 30 years ago, it’s a pivotal moment.


“Whether it could scale cost-effectively was an open question, and we’ve proven that it can — with the right combination of policies, standards and technology,” said Kempton, professor of marine science and policy.



For businesses such as Exelon, the report makes clear that V2G technology can help offset the cost of fleet electric vehicles while supporting the electric grid. This is because when the batteries in the parked fleet vehicles are aggregated together, they can function as a virtual power plant. The result is energy storage and supply that is available to the electric grid significantly faster than other conventional power resources, with virtually no wait times needed to power up or down.


Unlocking a parked vehicle’s earning power


Since Kempton and colleagues pioneered the innovative V2G technology, UD researchers have kept the charge going, accelerating progress on everything from V2G technology development to new automotive communication standards (called LIN-CP) for electric cars. They have advanced policy innovations at the state and federal level to overcome barriers in widespread adoption by enabling V2G technology to compete in electric markets, too.


The recent pilot with Exelon/Delmarva Power and others also revealed that the EV batteries used for V2G remained fully functional after a full year of market operation — with no measured reduction in battery health — all while providing pollution-free power.


“Something that might not be obvious to everyone is that these payments are not a subsidy; these EVs are earning money by competing with legacy generators, which is novel in a lot of ways,” said Kempton. “And when you’re participating in the market instead of a fuel-burning generator, you’re also reducing pollution.”


This makes the technology both economically smart and functionally sound in a world where the electric grid is expected to include more renewables in the coming years.


Kempton explained that most U.S. planned future electricity generation is scheduled to come from wind and solar. This will create greater fluctuation in the electric grid, which means more storage for energy surpluses will be needed. That’s where V2G can help, Kempton said.


According to Brian Derr, senior analyst, Exelon Technology and R&D, insights from the pilot will inform future deployments and support the company’s broader strategy to enable the clean energy transition while maintaining reliable service for the communities it serves.


“By leveraging existing assets in new ways, Exelon is positioning itself to build a more flexible, resilient and customer-focused energy system,” said Derr.


CaptionResizeWrap TextRemove


Accelerating progress toward a V2G industry


Next steps to expand the V2G industry to support the grid will require mass manufacturing to scale up the number of individual cars or fleets that are participating and earning money, Kempton said.


Until now, changes to V2G-enabled vehicles have been done by retrofitting existing EVs to accommodate the V2G technology. Now with lower-cost standards and realistic market revenue values that can be expected, Kempton is looking at how this becomes adopted in many cars and many charging stations.


“We’ll need at least a few car companies and charging station companies to mass produce this V2G equipment, and to deploy the technology into vehicles in the factory,” Kempton said. “If it is designed in, and mass produced, it’s incredibly cheap, especially when you compare it to the potential yearly revenue.”


At UD, faculty and students continue to play a large role in the work aimed at bringing a fully functioning V2G industry to fruition. Kempton, Rodney McGee and recent graduates John Metz and Catherine Gilman, for example, are focused on policy changes and standards to allow V2G-enabled electric vehicles to provide grid services in more states. Such policies currently exist in Delaware and Maryland. Kempton would like to see this number grow.


Meanwhile, UD postdoctoral researcher Garrett Ejzak and alumnus Go Charan Kilaru are focused on other aspects of the work. Ejzak is developing and testing these new EV technologies, and Kilaru is designing cryptography measures to ensure security protocols for V2G communications. Concurrently, UD students Colden Rother, Jude Borden, Lucia Paye-Layleh and Emmie Rossi are examining ways UD could electrify some of its campus fleets, under the advisement of UD’s Kimberly Oremus, associate professor of marine science and policy, economics, and public policy and administration.


To arrange an interview with Kempton, visit his profile page below and click on the "contact" button. For interviews with officials from Exelon/Delmarva Power, contact ​​Matt Ford, in 

​Delmarva Power Communications, at 302-429-3060.

Connect with:
Willett Kempton

Willett Kempton

Professor, Marine Science and Policy

Prof. Kempton invented vehicle-to-grid power (V2G); he researches, publishes and lectures on offshore wind power and on electric vehicles.

Vehicle-to-Grid PowerOffshore Wind Policy
Powered by

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from University of Delaware

Researchers detail why kissing bug far from home across Atlantic is an international concern featured image

3 min

Researchers detail why kissing bug far from home across Atlantic is an international concern

On an August morning last year, an American couple soon to embark on a European river cruise awoke in a luxury hotel in Lisbon. Staring back at them from the headboard was a bloodsucking insect. It wasn’t a mosquito. It wasn’t a bedbug.They wondered: Could it have bitten them while they slept? They’d later learn the culprit was an adult female kissing bug. More than half of all kissing bugs travel with an accomplice — a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi. The parasite causes Chagas disease which can lead to serious heart problems. T. cruzi is transmitted through the insect’s feces rather than its bite. But how did this particular species of kissing bug, native to the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico for its dry, desert-like climate, get to Portugal? That question became the centerpiece of a scientific investigation led by University of Delaware assistant professor and medical entomologist Jennifer K. Peterson and her team of Blue Hen sleuths. Their findings were recently published in the journal Parasites and Vectors. A bug’s life When the couple returned to their East Coast home, they brought the now-dead specimen with them in a jewelry box. They reached out to Peterson for identification. “When they first contacted me, I was super skeptical,” Peterson said. “My first response was, ‘Is there a Lisbon, Delaware? Because they can’t be referring to Lisbon, Portugal.’” Peterson and colleagues identified the insect as a species of kissing bug, Hospesneotomae protracta, native to the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico. The insect traveled a 5,000-mile transatlantic journey. Could it have stowed away aboard a cargo shipment? Did it hitchhike in somebody’s suitcase and take an international flight? No one knows how it got to Portugal. Portugal imports hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. agricultural products each year, and more than 2 million American tourists visit the country annually. Any number of pathways could explain its remarkable journey. “This case demonstrates they are hardy enough to survive that journey and then continue on to do what they biologically do, which is, basically, eating,” Peterson said. Six weeks after the incident, the American couple was tested for T. cruzi antibodies, which would indicate exposure to the parasite. The results showed the couple was not infected; their worries were over. But for medical entomologists like Peterson, the case was far from over. Medical entomologists in training Rather than simply presenting the case to her students, Peterson turned it into a collaborative class research project. She gave her class the basic facts and challenged students to investigate the insect’s biology, identify other hitchhiking cases and explore how the kissing bug might have reached Europe. She then combined the strongest elements of their work into one research paper. “Writing, peer review and publishing are such a huge part of being a researcher,” Peterson said. “As university academics, it’s our bread and butter. I wanted students to experience that process from beginning to end.” To Hunt Kinnaird, a UD Class of 2025 environmental science graduate and current master’s entomology student in Peterson’s lab, the case was a great experience in “digital detective work.” “Our job was to explain why this matters and investigate how the kissing bug could have traveled so far,” Kinnaird said. “I looked at global trade. It’s fascinating that either international commerce or human travel can move an insect thousands of miles beyond its natural range.” Increasing awareness The Lisbon case illustrates how easily this insect (and others) can travel across the globe. Peterson said when any insect that can transmit pathogens or parasites journeys outside of its usual range, there can be medical consequences. Especially if the insect is able to lay eggs and start an infestation. In the case of the adventurous kissing bug, it was not carrying the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The next one might. “This particular kissing bug was not infected with T. cruzi, but others could be,” Peterson said. “What we don’t want is to see kissing bug populations in places where they aren’t. Because once that takes off, they’re really tough to eliminate.” She hopes customs officials, border patrol agents and others who monitor for agricultural pests will become more familiar with kissing bugs. To speak with Peterson more about this extraordinary discovery, email mediarelations@udel.edu.

Cultivating justice and joy through critical AI use in the K-12 Classroom featured image

3 min

Cultivating justice and joy through critical AI use in the K-12 Classroom

Inspired by her middle school social studies teacher, University of Delaware Associate Professor Stephanie Smith Budhai has always believed that a classroom should be a space where students feel valued and nurtured. As a seasoned educator, she has helped teachers create these spaces using technology to support students in meeting learning outcomes, developing their skills and growing their confidence. Now, Budhai is mentoring overwhelmed teachers to reclaim the classroom as a nurturing environment for all students. Her book, "Critical AI in K-12 Classrooms: A Practical Guide for Cultivating Justice and Joy" with co-author Marie Heath of Loyola University Maryland, supports teachers and students as they navigate the complicated interactions of AI, education and justice. Budhai answered pressing questions about the already popular book. How would you describe the central message or takeaway of this book? "I believe that classrooms should be joyous spaces where all students feel heard, valued, seen and loved. Dealing with powerful technologies that exacerbates the biases and harms of society such as AI can impact teachers’ ability to nurture such spaces. Thus, this book was written to provide a practical guide for teachers and students as they navigate the complicated interactions of AI, education and justice. It is our duty as educators not to dismiss the technology altogether, but to help teachers take a critical lens, as they use AI for teaching and learning." What inspired you to pursue this line of research? "Before writing this book, I had already published 8 books and over 80 practitioner articles around technology, equity, teacher education and leadership. There had been other books that were quickly published about AI, but none focused on the harms of AI, how teachers could come to understand how AI really works and use it in ways that do not harm students." What are some of the key ways that K-12 teachers can cultivate justice and joy through AI? "In the book, we have many examples of how to cultivate justice and joy. For example, in chapter 3, we provide strategies for teachers to build an equity-mindset while supporting students in developing a critical consciousness around AI technologies, which are inherently biased. In chapters 4 and 5, we provide framing for using culturally-sustaining, abolitionist and fugitive pedagogies in designing curricula and learning activities that include the just use of AI technologies. And, in chapter 6, we provide teachers with myriad personal, professional, pedagogical and participatory actions they can take when using AI for teaching and learning." How could this work impact schools, teacher education programs and the broader public? "This work was created to support K-12 teachers, and many teachers have already shared how it has impacted them. K-12 teachers can immediately put the strategies and learning activities that we suggest in the book to use. We also situate AI in longer histories of technology injustice and provide accessible content on understanding how AI works through a critical algorithmic literacy perspective. Teacher education programs can use this work as they prepare teachers to navigate the complicated intersections of teaching, AI and justice. For the broader public, we also include content on justice-centered community activities and projects that are focused on critical AI." About Stephanie Smith Budhai Stephanie Smith Budhai is an associate professor in UD’s College of Education and Human Development, specializing in educational technology. Her interdisciplinary research and practice lies at the intersections of technology, equity and civic engagement, across myriad K-16 settings. She has published 10 books on teaching and digital technologies. Among other professional appointments, she serves as the Chair of the Information Technology Council for the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education and is on the Board of Directors for the Civics of Technology. To speak with Smith further about AI in K-12 education, reach out to MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Energy expert: Venezuela’s oil, U.S. energy security and the future of the Caribbean featured image

2 min

Energy expert: Venezuela’s oil, U.S. energy security and the future of the Caribbean

Venezuela’s enormous oil reserves have long been central to its economic development and geopolitical importance in the Western Hemisphere and globally. Efforts by the United States to gain greater access to Venezuelan oil supply could have major consequences for both countries, says the University of Delaware’s Kalim Shah. Shah, associate professor of energy and environmental policy, studies energy security, energy policy and governance, with a particular focus on the Caribbean and other energy-producing regions. Venezuela has some of the world’s largest oil reserves, but years of political interference, underinvestment deteriorating infrastructure and expropriation of foreign assets under the Chavez-Maduro socialist model have severely reduced its production capacity, Shah says. Rebuilding the industry will require substantial investment from U.S. and other international energy companies. Shah can discuss: • U.S. energy security: How greater access to Venezuelan oil could provide an additional source of supply during future global disruptions and serve as an “energy shock absorber.” • Gas prices: Why increased Venezuelan production is unlikely to produce an immediate, dramatic reduction in U.S. gasoline prices. • Caribbean geopolitics: How energy resources can shape U.S. influence and relationships throughout the Caribbean and Western Hemisphere. • Venezuela’s recovery: How rebuilding the country’s oil industry can generate jobs, government revenue, infrastructure investment and broader economic recovery. • Energy governance: The importance of transparent contracts, regulation and revenue management in ensuring that energy development benefits Venezuela while protecting international investors. • The energy transition: The long-term risks and opportunities of investing in major oil resources as global energy systems increasingly move toward lower-carbon sources. • U.S. companies: The role American energy companies can play in rebuilding Venezuela’s oil industry, and the opportunities and risks that could come with greater U.S. investment. To reach Shah directly and arrange an interview, visit his profile page and click on the "connect" button. Interested reporters can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.

View all posts
Powered by