Virtual power plants (VPP) hold great potential for U.S. utilities to aggregate decentralized energy resources such as solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries. They can also act as a single coordinated entity in reaction to changes in energy demand or supply, helping to prevent blackouts and ensuring a steady flow of electricity.
With those potential benefits in mind, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) is joining the Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI) Flexible Interoperable Technologies Initiative (also known as FLEXIT), for a deep-dive into VPP models and operating scenarios.
This initiative will strive to better understand how to cost-efficiently help decarbonize the grid and provide other benefits to consumers and the utility industry, such as:
ways to enhance grid flexibility in support of a cleaner, more reliable energy future
how to increase the range of opportunities for customer participation and choice
increased awareness and understanding of the types of distributed energy resources (DER) and various models of available VPPs
FLEXIT includes more than two dozen initial members representing 45% of U.S. electricity customers. More than 40 leading technology providers are also involved, including DER manufacturers, aggregators, and providers of management systems.
Really encouraging to see NYPA leaning into the potential of Virtual Power Plants through the FLEXIT initiative. This kind of collaboration is exactly what Vision2030 is all about. It’s a forward-looking move that positions NYPA as a leader in building a more flexible, resilient energy future for New York.