On February 6, 2022, Sunrun, a solar and battery storage provider, announced plans to create a 30 MW virtual power plant (VPP) by enrolling up to 7,500 existing and new residential solar and battery systems in Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) service area.[1] Storage systems that enroll in the Energy Efficiency Summer Reliability Program will be directed to discharge power to the grid every day between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. from August through October, a time when energy needs in California tend to be the highest. Customers will receive a $750 upfront payment and a free smart thermostat for participating. Batteries enrolled in the program will keep enough energy to meet customers’ needs in the event of a local power outage in their area. All Sunrun solar and battery customers in single-family homes in PG&E’s footprint who are not currently enrolled in other demand response programs are eligible to participate. In addition, the program will provide Sunrun with incremental revenue for managing and delivering VPP services to the grid for one year.

The new VPP is part of several programs and solutions that PG&E has implemented to ensure reliability during extreme heat events. The VPP was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in January 2023, and the company plans to begin enrolling customers into the program and start dispatches on August 1, 2023.

[1] https://investors.sunrun.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/279/sunrun-and-pge-collaborate-on-residential-battery-powered