QuickTalk: The Department of Energy’s Pathway to Commercial Liftoff for Virtual Power Plants

As peak electrical load in the U.S. rises for the first time in over a decade, large-scale deployment of virtual power plants (VPPs) will be a critical tool for addressing cost and reliability challenges of the grid. Achieving commercial liftoff for VPPs by 2030 has the potential to save over $10B of grid spending each year while increasing grid resilience, accelerating decarbonization, and empowering consumers, but achieving such savings will require accelerated and coordinated action across diverse stakeholders. This session will present the key messages from the US Department of Energy’s highly anticipated Pathway to Commercial Liftoff Report for VPPs, part of its series of Liftoff reports. Insights will include the current state of the market, pathway to liftoff by 2030, key challenges, and solutions requiring near-term action.