Google and leading distributed energy resource software provider Voltus have announced a three-year commercial agreement to unlock up to 100 megawatts (MW) of new electricity capacity across the PJM Interconnection grid region, an electricity network serving 67 million people in the Eastern United States.
Under the terms of the agreement, Voltus will orchestrate localized distributed energy resources—including behind-the-meter battery storage systems and smart thermostats—to lower aggregate energy demand during periods of peak grid stress.
Participating residential and commercial electricity consumers will receive financial compensation for reducing their consumption when called upon by the system. The initiative is structured to generate new capacity for the broader regional grid, direct clean energy investments into local communities, and enhance the structural reliability of the electrical infrastructure supporting Google’s regional data centres.
Industry research indicates that the deployment of smart, distributed grid solutions could save US consumers more than USD 100 billion over the next decade. The partnership with Voltus forms part of Google’s broader operational strategy to pilot and scale virtual power plant models, ranging from data centre demand-response programmes to consumer-facing distributed energy networks, to foster a more resilient, low-carbon, and cost-effective electricity system.
