I powered my home with an EV for a week. Here's how it went.

America's electricity grid is being squeezed from all sides, with one in every four homes experiencing power outages each year.

Extreme weather's making it worse, and so is rising demand. Millions of Americans are plugging in − switching to electric heat, charging EVs in their driveways − and running homes that depend more on clean energy than ever. Add the surge of energy-hungry AI data centers to the mix, and the system that keeps our lights on is stretched to its limits.

All of this has engineers, utilities and automakers asking a once-wild question: What if your car's the key to keeping the power on?

Can EVs save the grid?

GM , Ford , and Honda are betting they can. The concept, called bidirectional charging , turns an electric vehicle into a rolling battery that not only draws power from the grid but can also send it back when needed. In theory, your family car could double as a mini power plant.

This fall, I decided to test that idea by powering my entire house with an EV for a week.

My real-world blackout test

For my experiment, GM loaned us a Sierra EV AT4 and installed its new Home Energy System in our garage. The system stores power and moves it both ways between a home and a vehicle.

I live on an island in the Pacific Northwest, where power outages aren't rare. They're routine. Windstorms, wildfires, sometimes just a random Tuesday − the lights go out again. 

Sure enough, within the first week, a storm cut power for a few hours. We didn't even notice. The truck's battery quietly took over and kept the lights, Wi-Fi and fridge running.

It worked so well, we added to the challenge: We flipped the breaker ourselves to see how long we could stay comfortable running entirely from the truck.

We made it a full week completely off-grid. We were careful − no blasting heat, no clothes dryer − but after seven days, the Sierra still had charge to spare. No gas cans. No noise. No stress.

"This is what we've been waiting for − real-world proof that the technology actually works," said Zach Woogen , executive director of the Vehicle Grid Integration Council. "For years, this was theory and pilot programs. Now we're seeing it in people's homes. That's a huge step forward."

The bigger picture

Woogen says the timing isn't accidental. "We're entering a pivotal moment," he told me. "Electricity demand keeps climbing − from EVs, from heat pumps, from AI data centers − while extreme weather and wildfire risks make reliability more important than ever."

He calls bidirectional charging "a relief valve for an overworked grid − a way to make better use of energy that's already there."

And the potential scale is enormous. "We may already have more energy storage sitting in vehicles on the road than in all grid-scale batteries combined," Woogen said. "If even a fraction of that could be tapped, it changes the whole equation."

From party trick to power plant

Car companies are finally turning that promise into products. GM's Energy Home System lets compatible EVs act as instant backup generators. When the power goes out, the switch happens automatically − no breaker flipping, no fumes.

Ford's F-150 Lightning offers a similar setup through its Home Integration System, which can run an entire house off the truck's battery. The Lightning kicked off the "truck-as-generator" trend, proving that a battery big enough to drive hundreds of miles can just as easily power through a blackout.

Kia's EV9 works with Wallbox's bidirectional charger, allowing electricity to flow both ways − charging on normal days, powering the house when the grid goes down.

The catch? Cost. Between the vehicle, charger, wiring and permits, a full setup typically runs several thousand dollars. My test would have cost about $103,000 for the truck and GM energy system that was loaned to us − way above my budget and most households. While the cost may be less for some cars, like a Chevy Bolt, GM says, the EV power systems need time to become broadly affordable and simple, like solar panels a decade ago.

The expert reality check

"It's fascinating, cool, and genuinely useful," said Lance Noel , an EV-policy researcher who's studied vehicle-to-grid tech for more than a decade. "But it's not mass-market yet. You still need expensive equipment, expert wiring and cooperation between automakers and utilities that have never really worked together before."

Even then, there are limits. A truck battery can power lights, appliances and smaller heating systems for days, but not everything, forever. Electric dryers, water heaters and central air can drain the battery faster than you'd think. And the system only helps if your vehicle's charged when the storm hits.

Still, Noel says the shift is inevitable. "This will happen. It's only a matter of alignment. Once carmakers, utilities and regulators move together, we'll hit the tipping point."

Why it matters

GM is already partnering with utilities to expand rebates and streamline installation. States like Connecticut now offer up to $16,000 in incentives, plus annual payments for sharing stored power with the grid. California and several other states are piloting similar programs.

For many people, though, this isn't about tech bragging rights − it's about peace of mind.

When that windstorm hit, my neighbors fumbled for flashlights and fuel. Meanwhile, my house stayed warm. I brewed coffee, streamed a movie and slept soundly.

The truck's battery stored the energy. The home system managed it. Together, they worked like a silent, clean generator − without the fumes, noise or panic.

"Homeowners, automakers and utilities are finally moving in the same direction," Woogen said.

Because the next great power plant in America might not be made of concrete and steel. It might already be parked in your driveway.

This story has been updated to correct a typo and with new information.

Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist and on-air contributor for "The Today Show." The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Contact her via Techish.com or @JennJolly on Instagram .

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can EVs save the grid? What happened when the lights went out.