Abstract:

Both electric power systems and the transportation sector are essential constituents to modern life, enhancing social welfare, enabling economic prosperity and ultimately providing well-being to the people. However, to mitigate adverse climatological effects of emitting greenhouse gases, a rigorous de-carbonization of both industries has been set on the political agenda in many parts of the world. To this end, electrifying personal vehicles is believed to contribute to an affordable and reliable energy model that provides tolerable environmental impact. Representing an inherently flexible electricity demand, plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) promise to facilitate the integration of variable renewable energy sources. Yet, how should the PEVs' system usage be ideally coordinated for providing benefits to electric power systems in the presence of resource scarcity?