Joint Statement on Pennsylvania Virtual Power Plants from Clean Energy Groups
Virtual power plants would offer a cost-effective alternative to peaker plants
HARRISBURG, PA – Following today’s hearing on HB 2264, Advanced Energy United and Solar United Neighbors released the following statement on legislation that would enable virtual power plants and help unlock new tools to strengthen grid reliability and manage rising electricity demand.
“Virtual power plants turn thousands of everyday devices that people are already using—like batteries, smart thermostats, and EV chargers—into a powerful grid resource,” said Chris D’Agostino, Pennsylvania Policy Lead at Advanced Energy United. “With the right policy framework, Pennsylvania can unlock these technologies to deliver cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable electricity.”
“Pennsylvanians want lower energy bills. Virtual Power Plants can provide them,” said Monica Carey, Pennsylvania Program Director, Solar United Neighbors. “Behind the wonky name is a smart way to lower energy costs by encouraging people to share energy from their solar arrays and battery systems. This makes for more reliable and lower cost electric service for everyone.”
Additional Resources
- How Virtual Power Plants Unlock Cleaner, More Affordable Electricity Systems (Rocky Mountain Institute)