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Massachusetts Launches First-in-Nation Residential Vehicle-to-Grid Pilot Program, Turning EVs into Virtual Power Plants to Support the Grid

Eversource and National Grid, in partnership with EnergyHub, Sunrun, and The Mobility House, have launched the first residential vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot program in the U.S. in Massachusetts. The initiative aims to leverage EV energy storage to feed power back into the grid, enhancing stability and reducing electricity costs for customers.

Editorial Team7/28/2026Updated 7/28/2026

EVs to Serve as Mobile Grid Resources, Feeding Power Back During Peak Demand

On July 26, Massachusetts-based utilities Eversource and National Grid announced a collaboration with energy management platform EnergyHub, solar and storage provider Sunrun, and charging solutions company The Mobility House to launch the first residential vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot program in the United States. Through the ConnectedSolutions program, qualifying residential customers will be able to connect bidirectional-capable electric vehicles (EVs) to the grid, discharging stored energy during peak demand periods in exchange for financial incentives.

Massachusetts currently has over 150,000 EVs on its roads, with an increasing number of bidirectional-capable models becoming available. Eversource serves more than 1.62 million electric customers across 159 communities in the state, while National Grid provides electricity and natural gas to over 20 million people in New York and Massachusetts. The two utilities aim to transform parked EVs into mobile grid resources, supplying power during high-demand periods to reduce strain on the grid and enhance overall reliability.

EV Owners to Earn Incentives, Grid Costs Expected to Decline

Participants in the program will receive incentives through the ConnectedSolutions platform, though specific amounts and mechanisms have not yet been disclosed. Tilak Subrahmanian, Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility, stated that ConnectedSolutions is a leading model for virtual power plants (VPPs) in the nation, integrating diverse distributed energy resources to alleviate grid pressure. He noted that the company’s previous demand response efforts have yielded significant results, and this initiative will further test the potential of V2G technology in the residential sector.

David Roman Ubeda, Senior Program Manager at National Grid, said that V2G technology may provide additional opportunities for customers to manage their energy bills while advancing long-term sustainability in Massachusetts. National Grid has already begun leveraging V2G for light-to-medium-duty fleets within the ConnectedSolutions framework, starting with school buses. Eversource is also in discussions with school districts to integrate V2G into its ConnectedSolutions services.

Chip Silverman, Director of Grid Services at Sunrun, emphasized that vehicle batteries play a critical role in stabilizing the grid, providing backup power to homes, and lowering energy costs. He added that this collaboration will help expand the adoption of V2G technology, benefiting more customers. Russell Vare, Vice President of Vehicle-Grid Integration at The Mobility House North America, highlighted that electric cars and buses with bidirectional charging can provide emergency backup power and support grid operations through V2G. He described the ConnectedSolutions program as an excellent model for incentivizing customer participation.

Technology Platform Supports 3.5 GW of Flexible Dispatch Capacity

The pilot program’s technical backbone is provided by EnergyHub, whose EnergyHub Edge DERMS platform currently manages over 2.6 million distributed energy resources (DERs), including thermostats, EVs, and batteries, with a total dispatchable capacity of 3.5 GW. Seth Frader-Thompson, President of EnergyHub, stated that ConnectedSolutions sets the gold standard for how utilities can scale virtual power plants by unifying diverse energy assets into a single, cohesive program. This collaboration will further validate the feasibility of V2G technology in the residential sector.

While V2G technology has seen initial applications in commercial fleets, its adoption in the residential sector still faces challenges. Officials have not disclosed specific eligible vehicle models, incentive amounts, or the program timeline but emphasized that this partnership will lay the groundwork for future large-scale deployment. As EV adoption continues to rise, Massachusetts utilities hope to transform distributed vehicle batteries into dispatchable grid resources, enhancing energy resilience and economic benefits.

Eversource and National Grid stated that the program will explore the potential of EVs as virtual power plants, integrating diverse distributed energy resources to improve grid flexibility. With the growing number of electric vehicles, V2G technology is poised to become a vital tool for future power management, offering mutual benefits for customers and the grid.

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