Texas has taken a major step forward in revolutionizing its energy landscape with the introduction of Tesla Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) in two cities in the state. These VPPs have now been approved by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) for Tesla Powerwall owners in Houston and Texas to dispatch power to the Texas electric grid during peak periods.
Tesla’s largest VPP is in California, where over 7,000 So-Cal Edison and PG&E for customers with Powerwall batteries have opted in to the program. These customers can then decide whether or not to dispatch energy stored in their Powerwall batteries to the California grid Flex Events, which call for consumers to conserve electricity when there is an anticipated shortage of energy supply.
The program in California has proven popular, with customers earning $2 per kWh sent back to the grid during those peak periods, translating into cheques worth several hundred dollars over the course of several events.
Now Tesla Electric customers in Dallas and Houston can also start earning money with their Powerwall batteries, although it will be structured slightly differently. According to the Tesla Electric Virtual Power Plant support page, customers will earn $10 per Powerwall towards their monthly electric bill.
“Today’s launch of the first phase of the Tesla Virtual Power Plant is a milestone for Texas residents, Texas distribution utilities and the ERCOT grid. Our collective work has allowed Tesla to build a decentralized energy ecosystem that seamlessly integrates stored solar energy from Powerwalls onto the ERCOT grid,” said Tesla Senior Vice President of Powertrain & Energy Engineering Drew Baglino.
Tesla will also soon be launching another VPP in the US. The company recently partnered with EnergyHub to create what is being called the largest VPP in the Northeastern US for residents of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
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