Ford is the first automaker to participate in a new program that offers Southern California electric vehicle customers compensation for reducing their home energy use when the electric grid is most strained, according to a news release from the OEM.

Ford’s California Power Response program, offered in partnership with Olivine ClimateResponse VPP, allows Ford to pause EV charging during peak grid demand. The pause can be overridden if necessary.

Customers will earn $1 per kilowatt of energy reduced during the peak demand periods.

Southern California Edison (SCE) service area’s Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP) is one of the utility’s ongoing efforts to enhance grid resilience that also advances vehicle grid integration (VGI).

Ford supports the ELRP through Olivine, Inc. which administers distributed energy resources. Ford’s support “demonstrates the growing importance of coordinated actions by the automotive industry and utility companies to support grid resiliency as millions of electric vehicles enter the U.S. market,” SCE said in a news release.

Ford is offering electric vehicle customers participation in ELRP through its California Power Response program.

“The future of the two-way grid is now,” said Steve Powell, president and CEO of SCE, in the release. “The electric industry has been preparing infrastructure and systems to take advantage of vehicle-to-grid integration, and a lot of hard work on all sides is now making that a reality. Ford’s support of the ELRP will show how EVs can make the grid more resilient. The ELRP incentivizes EV drivers to send power from their car battery to the grid when it is needed most.”

As VGI technologies mature, SCE says it will continue to prioritize customer needs through ongoing collaboration with vehicle manufacturers, charging station providers, and VGI aggregators.

“Becoming the first U.S. automaker to participate in the ELRP program through Ford’s California Power Response program is another example of Ford maximizing every benefit possible for our electric vehicle customers,” said Bill Crider, Ford Motor Co. global charging and energy services senior director, in the release. “Electric vehicles can deliver cost savings through incentives provided by leading utilities such as Southern California Edison, and current vehicle-to-home and near-future vehicle-to-grid services open even more benefits to customers, the electric grid and communities at large.”

Ford and SCE are working with Olivine as the formal participant in the VGI component of the ELRP. Olivine’s role is pivotal to managing the seamless integration of EV charging into the ELRP, allowing for real-time adjustments and optimized charging strategies that align with grid needs, the release states.

“Olivine is proud of our long history of empowering consumers to align with grid needs,” said Beth Reid, CEO of Olivine, in the release. “Our partnership with Ford is an exciting illustration of what can be accomplished when we work toward the future together.”

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Featured image provided by Ford Motor Co.