US scientists urge grid upgrade to meet booming electric car demand

The US President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) has challenged government predictions of US electricity consumption, arguing that they could be badly underestimated.

PCAST has released an update to its 2006 report, The Energy Imperative: Technology and the Role of Emerging Companies, which questions the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) projections for US energy usage.

The updated report argues that an expected increase in the use of plug in hybrid and electric vehicles (PHEVs) and water desalinisation technologies could lead to much greater energy consumption over the coming decades than is mapped out in the government's official estimates.

The EIA is projecting a 29 per cent increase in US electricity demand by 2030, rising to 4,705 billion kilowatt hours. But the PCAST report claims that "if PHEVs and EVs become widely popular, however, the growth in electricity demand could end up bring much greater".

Advocates of electric cars have argued that pressure on the grid would be limited as they would typically be charged overnight and during off peak hours. But the PCAST report warns that if the vehicles prove as popular as many observers expect, more power plants would be needed to meet a net increase in energy demand.

It added that significant enhancements to both electricity distribution networks would also be required to meet the increased demand.

The report also claimed that renewable energy would not exceed 20 per cent of overall grid generation by 2030 and that as a result nuclear and clean coal technologies would have to play a significant part in future base load energy production.

Bill Vogel, chief executive of smart grid company Trilliant, welcomed the report, adding that it highlighted the need for vehicle-to-grid technologies that allow electric cars help meet peak loads by giving unused power back to the grid.

"It is very clear to us that the interest of the public in PHEVs is very strong," he said. "The anticipated PHEV/EV batteries will exceed the daily commuting requirements of most drivers. Lastly, the charging times are forecasted to be very fast. This all adds up to an absolute need for vehicle-to-grid."