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Green Mountain Power has aggregated batteries in more than 5,500 Vermont homes into a virtual power plant that can support the grid while reserving backup power for customers. The utility says it is Vermont’s largest source of power, though the report does not specify the measurement or comparison behind that description.
Green Mountain Power has linked batteries in more than 5,500 Vermont homes into a virtual power plant that can help manage electricity demand and provide backup during outages. The utility says the network has become the state’s largest source of power, although the available report does not define the comparison used for that claim.
The programme offers two home batteries for $55 a month under a 10-year lease, according to the BBC report. Pollyanna Bladyka, who lives in Springfield, said she and her husband chose the system in 2024 after an electrician told them about it. They had been considering a gas generator that they expected would cost $12,000. Bladyka said their home had not lost power since the batteries were installed.
Green Mountain Power can draw on enrolled batteries when needed, while customers keep some reserve capacity for their own use, particularly during outages. The utility combines the home systems with other resources, including electric vehicle batteries, commercial demand-response arrangements and several utility-scale batteries. The batteries do not generate electricity on their own; solar panels connected to some homes do. GMP says about half of homes in its battery programme also have solar panels.
Megan Browning, a northern Vermont resident who has rooftop solar and two batteries, told the BBC that she did not notice a flicker when a windstorm brought down a nearby power line and left neighbouring homes without electricity. GMP says enrolment rose after state regulators lifted a programme cap in 2023, with more than 2,500 participants joining since then. The utility serves more than 75% of Vermont and has set a goal of eliminating all power outages by 2030, alongside measures such as putting power lines underground.
Batteries Add Backup Across Rural Vermont
The programme links household resilience with grid operations. A home battery can keep essential appliances running during an outage, while coordinated systems give the utility another way to respond when electricity demand is high or supply is constrained. In a rural state where storms and winter cold can make prolonged outages dangerous, that backup can matter beyond convenience.
For participating customers, the lease offers an alternative to buying and installing a generator outright, though the report does not compare the full costs of the two options over time. For the wider grid, the network may reduce pressure to add generation that would otherwise serve peak demand. That is the utility’s stated rationale for using distributed resources; the report provides no quantified estimate of emissions avoided, costs saved or power plant construction deferred.
Virtual power plants also change how utilities can call on energy resources. Instead of relying only on large, centralized facilities, a utility can coordinate batteries and other customer equipment through software. The Vermont programme illustrates how that approach can provide services at both the household and grid level, while leaving questions about scale, reliability and economics to be answered with further operating data.
A Programme Built Since 2017
Green Mountain Power began the battery initiative as a pilot in 2017. The BBC describes virtual power plants as networks that coordinate consumer devices, including home batteries, rooftop solar, smart thermostats and electric vehicle batteries, so they can support the wider grid. Such systems have drawn more attention as electricity demand rises and distributed energy equipment becomes more common.
GMP’s service territory and climate shape the programme’s appeal. The utility serves much of Vermont, where rural customers can face outages during storms and cold weather. Bladyka said outages had repeatedly disrupted her morning routine before she enrolled. She estimated that her batteries could power her home for about two days if the household limited electricity use, including laundry and dishwashing; that is her account of her system, not a guarantee for every home or outage.
The programme is one part of GMP’s broader outage-reduction plan. The utility says it is also working to move some power lines underground. Kate Peters, a virtual power plant expert at consultancy The Brattle Group, told the BBC that GMP’s programme may be among the largest battery programmes in the United States. The report does not provide a comparative dataset establishing its national ranking.
“I didn’t even notice a flicker.”
— Megan Browning, a programme participant
The Grid Impact Is Not Quantified
The BBC report does not explain the basis for GMP’s description of the virtual power plant as Vermont’s largest source of power. It gives no capacity figure, amount of electricity dispatched, or comparison with conventional generators. The utility’s claim that the programme can reduce the need to build additional fossil fuel plants is also not accompanied by a quantified estimate of avoided construction or emissions.
It is also unclear how often the utility calls on enrolled batteries, how much reserve customers retain in different circumstances, or how the $55 monthly lease compares with other backup options over the full 10-year term. Individual accounts of uninterrupted service do not establish that all participants will avoid outages or that batteries will cover every household’s needs during a prolonged disruption.
GMP Targets Fewer Outages by 2030
Green Mountain Power says it aims to eliminate all power outages by 2030, using the battery programme alongside measures including underground power lines. The utility’s next steps will be judged against that target and the continued growth of its enrolled network.
The report does not give a schedule for further programme expansion or say when GMP will publish detailed results on grid performance. More information about dispatch frequency, customer backup outcomes and costs would help show how much the virtual power plant contributes to the target and how its benefits compare with other grid investments.
Key Questions
What is Vermont’s virtual power plant?
It is a network coordinated by Green Mountain Power that includes batteries in more than 5,500 homes and other resources. Software lets the utility manage those resources as part of the wider electricity grid.
Do the batteries generate electricity?
No. Batteries store electricity and can supply it later. Some participating homes also have rooftop solar panels, which can generate electricity; GMP says about half of homes with programme batteries have solar.
How much does the home battery programme cost?
The BBC report says the programme leases two batteries for $55 per month over 10 years. It does not give a full comparison of the lease’s lifetime cost with buying a generator or other backup equipment.
How long can the batteries keep a home running?
There is no single duration given for all participating homes. Bladyka said her system should power her home for about two days if her household limits electricity use; the report does not present this as a standard guarantee.
What is Green Mountain Power’s outage goal?
GMP says it aims to eliminate all power outages by 2030. The battery programme is one part of that plan, alongside measures such as putting power lines underground.
Source: hn
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