en.Wedoany.com Reported - Residential solar and battery provider Sunrun announced the expansion of its virtual power plant in California, which will support the state's grid with a capacity of up to 425 MW. Sunrun stated that with the expansion complete, the plant has become one of the largest flexible energy supply resources in California and the largest residential-focused virtual power plant in the United States.
Sunrun CEO Mary Powell said that against the backdrop of continued growth in electricity demand, Sunrun's virtual power plant represents one of the fastest and most cost-effective tools available to grid operators. She noted that the California plant leverages flexible energy capacity covering tens of thousands of households and dispatches power at locations closest to energy consumption, thereby exerting downward pressure on prices and grid infrastructure needs. As of July 2026, the virtual power plant has recruited over 80,000 households this year alone. Currently, the plant represents more than 110,000 home batteries, compared to 16,000 Sunrun customers who participated in 2024, all of whom have been compensated.
The company said that during summer and fall, the Sunrun plant is available to support the California grid daily from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. During peak demand periods in May and June, the company conducted several test dispatches of portions of its battery portfolio in northern and southern California.
In the summer of 2025, Sunrun demonstrated the capabilities of its plant assets at utility scale. The company stated that on July 29, 2025, Sunrun, along with other power aggregators, provided enough electricity to the grid during peak hours to meet more than half of San Francisco's electricity demand. Sunrun President and Chief Revenue Officer Paul Dickson said that from coast to coast, Sunrun's virtual power plants are delivering electricity at scale, while the grid requires more capacity due to artificial intelligence buildout, domestic manufacturing, increased electrification, and insufficient new supply coming online. As the portfolio rapidly expands year over year, Sunrun is providing immediate value and capacity to help meet peak demand, tailoring plans to adapt to various grid conditions and unique needs.
During that dispatch operation, Sunrun's battery-based plant delivered an average of over 360 MW of power for two consecutive hours. This proof of concept drove further expansion, ultimately achieving the current peak dispatchable capacity of 425 MW. The company said this was accomplished without requiring new land, building new transmission lines, or adding interconnection processes. Additionally, officials noted that if demand continues to grow, such virtual power plants can be scaled up over time.
