Power
Oregon utility highlights grid benefits of electric trucks
Pacific General Electric showcased medium and heavy-duty electric commercial trucks as grid-ready assets capable of supporting power systems during peak demand.
Key points
- Portland utility PGE featured electric semi trucks and school buses at a state fleet event.
- Officials noted that commercial EVs can supply stored energy back to the grid during peak loads.
- Electrek reported that heavy-duty electric vehicles also help reduce significant transport emissions.
Grid support from commercial fleets
Pacific General Electric recently highlighted the potential for medium and heavy-duty electric commercial vehicles to act as backup assets for the power grid, according to Electrek reporting. During Oregon's first fleet-focused electric ride-and-drive event, utility representatives pointed to the ability of battery-powered big rigs and school buses to support electrical systems during high-demand periods.
Karla Hendrickson, transportation electrification manager at PGE, described the vehicles as grid-ready assets capable of helping utilities manage peak loads while containing costs. The utility is already testing energy dispatch from deployed electric school buses back to the grid, noting that their predictable schedules and long periods of being parked make them ideal for the application.
Emissions and infrastructure
While passenger electric vehicle adoption grows across Oregon with nearly 150,000 registered units, electrification for heavier commercial transport is in its early stages. Representatives from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality noted that while heavy trucks and buses make up a small share of total vehicles, they account for a disproportionate amount of transportation emissions.
Expanding the deployment of these commercial electric fleets aims to provide utilities with additional stored energy capacity. This integration could help insulate fleet operators from volatile diesel fuel prices, which stood at 4.844 US dollars per gallon for ultra-low sulfur diesel on the US Gulf Coast as of October 2026, according to US Energy Information Administration data.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Grids decide whether generation becomes power that homes and businesses can rely on. Generation mix, transmission and distribution losses, and tariffs together shape reliability and the case for investment.
91.9% of people worldwide had electricity in 2024Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
