Colorado grid study plugs hybrid vehicles

Could ending foreign oil dependency be this easy?

A six month study by Xcel Energy has announced the results of how plug-in hybrid vehicles would affect the Colorado electric grid. "The study found that PHEVs may result in a reduction of the overall expense of owning a vehicle and, with the help of smart-grid technologies, eliminate harmful vehicle emissions by up to 50 percent."

"Successfully managing a charging program will depend on a smart utility grid," said Ray Gogel, chief administrative officer for Xcel Energy. "This study is one step we are taking to demonstrate how to use energy more efficiently through smart-grid technologies. In order to make a dent in issues like climate change and dependence on foreign oil, the grid must change. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have the potential to help us better use renewable and other nontraditional energy sources while creating a grid that is more interconnected, balanced and reliable."

Last week I posted an entry that claimed that plug-in hybrids could not only increase electric grid reliability, but actually serve as money-making back-up generators for the power grid.