Eco-Hub Pilot to Demonstrate Benefits of Bi-Directional Charging

On Jan 15, 2026

The Department of Environmental Protection and Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) have launched the Eco-Hub pilot program, demonstrating the potential benefits of electric vehicle bi-directional charging to help power the electric grid and contribute to lower energy rates.

Bi-directional charging technology allows electric vehicles to both charge and discharge energy from their batteries, providing the capabilities to transfer stored battery energy to homes and buildings or back to the electricity grid.

During the first phase of the program, two schools – Christina Seix Academy in Trenton and Hanover Park Regional High School District in Hanover Park – will be equipped with bi-directional charging stations and electric school buses.

They will also be supplied with power from onsite solar and batteries that will utilize a microgrid controller to manage the storage and transfer of excess energy captured through the solar panels.

The pilot is funded through the DEP’s Electric School Bus program and an additional $4 million from the NJBPU to fund the technology needed for the bi-directional and Vehicle to Grid (V2G) infrastructure.

“New Jersey is leading the way in clean transit, transforming school buses into energy hubs that power our schools and will add over 2,100 MWh of storage to the grid,” said NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “The Eco-Hub pilot provides a real-world roadmap to scale this smart infrastructure, cutting pollution while protecting our students and our energy future.”

Supported by New Jersey’s Electric School Bus Grant Program, a partnership of the DEP and NJBPU, the state will soon have more than 240 electric school buses in operation.

Eight additional schools are undergoing initial feasibility screenings to provide high-level estimates of their electric grid capacity, space availability, timelines, and cost assumptions. These assessments will lead to the design and implementation of at least two additional projects.

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