Massachusetts is turning EVs into grid assetsstarting with freebi-directional (V2X) chargers for schoolstownsand residents.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) announced the participants in a first-of-its-kind Vehicle‑to‑Everything (V2X) demonstration program that will install bi‑directional EV chargers at no cost for school districtsmunicipalitiesand residents across the state. The goal: test how EVs can send power back to buildings and the gridcut peak demandand reduce the need for expensive new grid infrastructure.

Bi‑directional charging lets an EV battery both draw electricity from and return it to the grid. In practicethat means EVsincluding electric school buses and truckscan provide backup power during outages or help utilities manage peak demand on the hottest or coldest days of the year. MassCEC expects the participating chargers to deliver more than 1 megawatt of power back to the grid during a demand response eventroughly enough to offset the electricity use of about 300 average US homes for an hour.

State officials are framing the pilot as a real‑world test of how EVs can function as mobile energy storage.

“Virtual power plants are the future of our electrical grid,” said Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “Bi‑directional charging unlocks new ways to protect communities from outages and lower costs for families and public fleets.”

All of the bi‑directional charging stations are expected to be installed and operational by summer 2026with data collection continuing throughout the year. MassCEC plans to publish a V2X guidebook in late 2026 covering system designcharging managementcostsand regulatory hurdlesto help other communities replicate and scale similar projects.

A key feature of the program is that the chargers and installation are provided at no cost to participantswhich MassCEC says helps address one of the biggest barriers to V2X adoption. Participants will also be supported in enrolling in existing utility programs that compensate EV owners for sending power back to the grid during peak periodspotentially lowering electricity bills.

The selected participants include five school districts – Acton‑Boxborough RegionalArlingtonBostonConcordand Lincoln – along with four municipal projects in SterlingNeedhamPlymouthand Warwick. The program also includes 30 individual residents from across the state. More than one‑third of the program’s funding will support participants living in environmental justice communities.

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