Featured Post from University of Delaware

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

Apr 16, 2026

5 min

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.

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

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

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Jun 4, 2026

2 min

NBA Finals: Pricey tickets have fans debating the value of a memory

With the NBA Finals back in New York and San Antonio, some fans holding pricey tickets face an emotional and financial decision: Savor a major life memory or cash out for big money to spend on something else? The University of Delaware's Amit Kumar has conducted research on these types of choices. Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing and psychological & brain sciences, says that it may come down to a choice between material possessions that people often buy because they think those things are going to make them happy and a satisfying experiential purchase that tends to "last" in a psychological sense. The Spurs haven't been to the Finals since 2014. It's been 27 years for the Knicks – and 53 years since the team hoisted the championship trophy. So, in this case, the decision comes down to a large lump of money to spend on, say, a kitchen remodeling project or a new watch; versus the memory of witnessing a rare NBA Finals home game. "If there's a consumer deciding between buying antique living room furniture to replace the set they already have in their house or instead spending that money on the experience of seeing the Knicks play the Spurs, they are likely to derive more enduring satisfaction from the memories of being at the game, the stories they tell about going and having been there, and the social interactions they have as a result," Kumar said. He added that the lesson for people's everyday lives is really to tilt their spending in a way such that they spend a bit less on material goods and a bit more on experiences. To connect with Kumar directly and arrange an interview, visit his profile and click on the "contact" button. To reach him directly, send an email to mediarelations@udel.edu.

Jun 2, 2026

2 min

Nurse-midwife master’s program addresses maternal healthcare shortages

Counties across the U.S. are seeing an increase in “maternity care deserts” – areas that completely lack OB/GYNs, midwives or birthing facilities. The University of Delaware's School of Nursing will join the effort to address this shortage by launching the state's first nurse-midwife master’s program and post-graduate certificate this fall. Amanda Watson, director of the nurse-midwife program and assistant professor of nursing at UD's College of Health Sciences, can talk about the issue both on a national scale and at the hyper-local level. In Delaware, for example, 67 percent of pregnant women in Kent County and nearly half of pregnant women in Sussex County who experienced a stillbirth or infant death have late or no access to prenatal care, according to the Maternal and Child Death Review Commission (MCDRC). “The program is in direct response to workforce needs and healthcare shortages in the state and aligns with our mission in the School of Nursing to promote nurses at the earliest levels to the advanced practice level,” said Elizabeth Speakman, chief nurse administrator and senior associate dean of SON. She added that current nursing students wanted to see a program like this. “We’ve had undergraduate students tell us they want to continue their experience as a Blue Hen through a nurse-midwife program, so we expect this program to be quite popular, especially with our direct admission pathway,” Speakman said. The full-time, two-year program is being supported by a $1 million investment from the state of Delaware. It will be led by Watson and launch this fall with an eight-student cohort that will complete clinical rotations at Christiana, Bayhealth and Beebe hospitals, as well as The Birth Center in Newark. “We will prioritize students living and working in Delaware to make a quicker impact on the workforce shortage,” Watson said. The pipeline strategy is central to the program, said Dr. Meena Ramakrishnan, a consultant and epidemiologist with the MCDRC. “More nurse-midwives who train here, know Delaware and its resources, make connections and stay here to practice, is an important step toward improving outcomes,” Ramakrishnan said. Watson said the program reflects what makes change possible in Delaware’s healthcare system. “I saw a flawed healthcare system in this state, and I’m blessed to be in a state small enough that people who want to fix the problem are given opportunities to affect change,” she said. To connect with Watson directly and arrange an interview, visit her profile page and click the "contact" button. Interested reporters can also send an email to mediarelations@udel.edu.

Jun 1, 2026

7 min

UD English professors reveal 2026 beach reads, tying summer picks to big themes in today’s culture

When summer rolls around, the best beach reads do more than just pass the time—they somehow capture what everyone’s talking about right now. That’s the vibe behind University of Delaware’s professor-picked list: books that are fun to sink into, but also surprisingly sharp about the world we’re living in. Think big feelings, messy relationships, culture shifts, and the kind of stories that make you look up from the page and go, “Yep, that tracks.” "There Is No Antimemetics Division" By qntm A Reddit novel turned print bestseller, "There Is No Antimemetics Division" is a surreal horror story that follows an X-Fileish government division fighting aliens whose battlefield is the human mind. How do you fight an enemy whose existence you cannot remember? – Siobhan Carroll, Associate Professor "The Briar Club" By Kate Quinn I'm a big fan of Kate Quinn. Her books never disappoint. Her writing is wonderful and captivating, and the voices and characters are authentic. This book, set in the 50s, is a post-war reflection on a group of tenants in a boarding house who, over food (recipes included!), become friends and navigate McCarthyism, conspiracies and fear. It is historical fiction written to remind us that history repeats itself. – Christine Cucciarre, Professor "Guido Brunetti mysteries" By Donna Leon I've gotten completely hooked on these mysteries set in Venice. Fans will tell you the best is the fifth book in the series, "Acqua Alta," but be sure you read the first book to meet the characters! – Emily S. Davis, Director of Graduate Studies "When We Cease to Understand the World" By Benjamin Labatut An English professor recommending a book detailing the lives of physicists, scientists and mathematicians? Yes! History, heady concepts, madness, melancholy and beautiful prose come together in a haunting way. – Viet Dinh, Associate Professor "Dungeon Crawler Carl series" By Matt Dinniman What if you smushed role-playing video games/tabletop games with The Running Man? Plus, there's a sassy cat who talks! – Lowell Duckert, Associate Professor "Just Kids" By Patti Smith I've recently read "M Train" by Patti Smith, and now I'm looking forward to reading the book for which she won the National Book Award. Smith's memoirs can be impressionistic, but they often come down to some unexpected detail or some ongoing longing. If you know her music, you can sometimes hear it in the background, or you can spot those moments in her life when music would almost necessarily emerge as a great force gathered by her authentic approach to life. She's one of those writers who can change how you look for and find what most matters to you, how you look for and embrace your own soul. – John Ernest, Chair in English "Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder" By Caroline Fraser I loved reading the "Little House" books as a child. It seemed like a life full of adventure and love, even through "The Long Winter." But this biography of author Laura Ingalls Wilder reveals a life full of struggle and loss behind the calico dresses and the fiddle lullabies. Caroline Fraser won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for "Prairie Fires," using unpublished manuscripts, letters, diaries, and land and financial records to pull back the pioneer spirit curtain and show readers the reality of life on the prairie. – Dawn Fallik, Associate Professor "The School for Good Mothers" By Jessamine Chan Warning: Do not bring this book to the beach without plenty of sun screen, because you will not put it down and that might make YOU a candidate for enrollment in The School. Second Warning: The book is compelling precisely because it will make you mad and freak you out. My wife gave it to friends as a Mother's Day present, and every mother who read it could relate. – Peter X Feng, Associate Professor "Audition" By Katie Kitamura This book has been on my bedside table for months now, just waiting for the semester to end. I am a sucker for books that shift perspective in the middle (see also: Susan Choi's "Trust Exercise"). – Peter X Feng, Associate Professor "The Road to Tender Hearts" By Annie Hartnett You might not expect a book that features domestic violence, children being orphaned and a 63-year-old man still pathetically dependent on his ex-wife to be funny. But I laughed out loud multiple times—and had some tears as well—as I read this novel! Follow the adventures of PJ, two children from his town, and a death-predicting cat as they road trip across the country. "The Road to Tender Hearts" was the best book I read all year! – Jill Flynn, Professor "The Stories of John Cheever" By John Cheever One of the finest collections of short fiction ever published. Witty, magical, often devastating portraits of people navigating mid-century New York. – McKay Jenkins, Cornelius Tilghman Professor of English "Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches" By John Hodgman This book is a collection of nonfiction essays by John Hodgman (Daily Show writer and "Judge John Hodgman" podcast and The NY Times Magazine column). It is laugh-out-loud funny in a very self-deprecating, Gen X way. – Matthew Kinservik, Professor "Cloud Cuckoo Land" By Anthony Doerr This is one of the best novels I've ever read. Ever. It follows three stories set in very different times and places (15th-century Constantinople, 21st-century Idaho, and the not-too-distant future on a spacecraft headed to a new planet that will support human habitation). It's a book about the value of books and human storytelling. The stories eventually get braided together in moving and surprising ways. Amazing. – Matthew Kinservik, Professor "The Wilderness" By Angela Flournoy Have you wondered how your friendships in your early 20s might follow you into middle age? "The Wilderness" focuses on the friendships between four women: Desiree, Monique, Nakia and January from 2008 until 2027, when they are in their early 40s. They support one another through marriage, divorce, career anxiety, loss and a persistent set of questions about who they each want to be in the world and the lives they want to live. "The Wilderness" is told from many perspectives and details how culture, place, habits, friendships and childhood experiences combine to make and remake our adult lives. – Davy Knittle, Assistant Professor "Kin" By Tayari Jones "Kin" is about two motherless girls from Louisiana who find themselves as grown women on two very different paths, looking to other mother figures along the way. The writing is beautiful and engaging! I could not put this book down. I truly fell in love with all of the characters, and even the locations come alive. – Meg McGuire, Associate Director of First-Year Writing "How to Solve Your Own Murder" By Kristen Perrin This truly is a cozy mystery about a woman called Frances Adams—a resident of the moody Castle Knoll. When Frances is a teenager, she encounters a fortune teller who portends Frances's murder. Frances then spends most of her life sort of obsessively surveilling everyone around her, trying to figure out who will kill her. When she does die, her great niece Annie is surprised to learn that the late Frances has left Annie her entire estate, even though they have never actually met. When Annie arrives in Castle Knoll and at the estate, she follows in her great aunt's footsteps by holding all of the town's quirky characters at arm's length while she tries to discover who killed her late great aunt. This is an easy-breezy read, even if it does include a murder mystery at the center. Perfect for a day at the beach. Best of all, if you fall in love with the characters and the place, it's part of a series of three books, so you can keep going! – Cathryn Molloy, Professor "The Order of Time" By Carlo Rovelli You could read any Rovelli book, really—I am reading the one on the birth of science at the moment— but this is the one that drew me in. He merges a physics/science‒centered approach to time with a human/experienced‒centered view of it, which I just cannot get enough of. It is beautifully written, at times verging on poetic, while also bringing in a lot of the information and knowledge I seem to have skipped over as a terrible science student. It's joyful and intense and meditative. And yes, this is what I read for fun! – Amish Trivedi, Assistant Professor "The Season of Styx Malone" By Kekla Magoon Two young Black boys in small-town Indiana fall under the spell of Styx Malone, a mysterious new kid who arrives for the summer and stirs things up by persuading them to pursue their biggest dreams and breaking a few rules along the way. I collect multicultural kids books and stumbled across this one six years ago. It captured me because it celebrates family and friendship, depicts young people with rich interior lives, and mixes in a little mystery and humor. There's something sweet and down-home about it. It's a refreshing little respite from, well, everything ... – Délice Williams, Associate Professor To speak to the professors more about what makes these books the perfect summer reads, email mediarelations@udel.edu.

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