California is gradually going electric.
In 2022, 20% of the cars bought in the state were all electric. Now, more than 1.5 million EVs, with the goal of all new cars sold being electric by 2025.
But to make that electric dream a reality we will need a lot more electric power. Some of which will come from sources like solar.
"In the longer run, we are going to need to be able to produce more electricity,” said Severin Borenstein, faculty director at the UC Berkeley Energy Institute. “But if we can shift the demand for some of that, particularly charging electric vehicles and heating hot water, we can make that pretty easily.
Some of that power comes by increasing the capacity of our grid. The latest estimate from the CPUC is that we will need to harden the grid and triple its capacity by 2035.
To that end, the state just secured $67 million from the federal government to bolster clean energy projects for the grid.
Bornstein says expanding that grid also means putting out fires.
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"The big challenge is going to be dealing with the climate change impact, and the increasing wildfire, and also making sure that we can build the transmission lines we need,” he said.
In the Bay Area, companies like Standard Fleet, whose software powers electric vehicle fleets -- say a more powerful grid means more business.
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"The grid has to be stronger, there's only so much power you'll be able to pull in some locations, only so much power you can pull from cars to homes, so the grid will definitely need to be stronger to handle the increasing demand,” said David Hodge, CEO of Standard Fleet.
The $67 million is part of a five year, $2.3 billion grant program to fund programs that provide zero-carbon energy.
The money will also help protect the grid from extreme weather.
