Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Announces SHARE: A Virtual Power Plant Initiative
Oakland, Calif. — PG&E has launched SHARE (Smart Home Assets for Reliability and Efficiency), an innovative Virtual Power Plant (VPP) aimed at addressing increasing electric demand while enhancing affordability and reliability for all customers.
In partnership with Rewiring America, Google, Tesla, Sunrun, and others, SHARE will operate in Bay Area communities to create a coordinated network of home batteries, smart devices, and battery-enabled heat pumps. This initiative will enable households to reduce energy use during peak demand periods.
Key Features of SHARE:
- Enhanced Capacity: The program seeks to improve reliability and lower costs by utilizing everyday home energy resources.
- Flexibility for Energy Users: As electric demand grows, SHARE provides a pathway to support new and existing energy users.
- Economic Benefits: Households can save money through intelligent energy management using next-gen technology.
Chelle Izzi, PG&E’s Chief Commercial Officer, emphasized the initiative’s focus on delivering power efficiently while providing real benefits to communities.
Addressing Rising Demand:
With increasing reliance on electricity across businesses and homes, PG&E is modernizing its electric system alongside implementing SHARE. The VPP will demonstrate how targeted home investments can:
- Improve reliability and lower costs.
- Expand capacity during high-demand periods.
- Rapidly support emergent energy users.
PG&E aims to enroll nearly 21,000 homes with existing flexible energy devices, enabling these households to manage their energy use effectively while contributing to regional energy stability, with operational support expected as early as fall 2026.
Mary Powell, CEO of Sunrun, highlighted the potential of home energy devices to enhance affordability and reliability for Californians. Carrier is contributing with its battery-enabled heat pumps, designed to optimize energy use.
Customer Benefits:
Eligible customers in Santa Clara and Alameda counties will receive:
- Advanced Carrier battery-enabled heat pumps.
- Reduced energy bills through optimized management.
- Improved home comfort and resilience.
Funded by Google, the program will ensure that existing customers gain from expanded grid capacity needs. Amanda Peterson Corio from Google reaffirmed the importance of optimizing local energy resources to strengthen grid capacity, benefiting local communities.
Rewiring America is actively engaging with households to deploy energy-efficient technologies as part of SHARE, advocating for technology deployment that meets high standards.
In summary, SHARE represents a collaborative effort to harness household energy resources, providing financial incentives, reliability, and improved community resilience, all while contributing to California’s energy goals.
