Scaling residential VPPs could cut electric bill increases by half: Brattle

Utility Dive · Robert Walton · 2026-10-14 09:27 UTC

Utilities should look to OEM-led enrollment strategies to expand residential virtual power plants utilizing thermostats, batteries and EV chargers, according to The Brattle Group.

Dive Brief:

- If all U.S. electric utilities were to achieve a 4% system peak reduction utilizing residential virtual power plants, the resource could help reduce bill increases for average households by more than half over the next five years, according to a report from The Brattle Group.

- The 4% target is already being achieved by the top 10% of utility demand response programs, the report noted. If U.S. utilities scaled their programs to that level, “nationwide residential VPP capability would more than triple, from 10 GW to 35 GW,” Brattle said.

Read the full story at Utility Dive · All coverage of this story