PG&E Is Building a Virtual Power Plant From Home Batteries Bay Area Homeowners, Here's Why That Matters

PG&E Is Building a Virtual Power Plant From Home Batteries
Bay Area Homeowners, Here's Why That Matters

Pacific Gas and Electric is launching a new virtual power plant in the San Francisco Bay Area, and it is built almost entirely from equipment inside people's homes. The program, called SHARE, short for Smart Home Assets for Reliability and Efficiency, is a partnership between PG&E, Rewiring America, and Google, which is funding the effort.

How SHARE works
A virtual power plant links many small energy resources, like home batteries and smart thermostats, so they can act together like a single power plant. SHARE plans to draw on up to 21,000 existing home energy devices, along with new battery-enabled heat pumps, to reach about 12 megawatts of flexible capacity by 2028.
New heat pump installations will focus on Santa Clara and Alameda counties, with homeowners eligible for subsidized Carrier heat pumps at a discount of at least $5,000 and up to $10,000 for early adopters. Homeowners who already have batteries or smart thermostats can participate through partners including Tesla, Sunrun, and Renew Home. Under PG&E's existing program, Tesla Powerwall owners can earn $2 for every additional kilowatt-hour their battery delivers to the grid during events.
Customer outreach begins in fall 2026, with operations continuing through 2027.

Why PG&E is investing in home batteries
The goal is to lower costs for all customers by reducing the need for new infrastructure. When thousands of homes can reduce demand or supply stored energy during the busiest hours, the utility can ease strain on local circuits without building as much new equipment, costs that otherwise show up in everyone's rates.
Programs like SHARE show that utilities increasingly see home batteries as valuable grid assets, not just personal backup systems.

What this means for Bay Area homeowners
For PG&E customers, a home battery paired with rooftop solar does three things. It stores daytime solar for use during expensive evening hours on PG&E time-of-use plans. It keeps essential loads running during outages, including public safety power shutoffs. And it positions your home to participate in programs like SHARE as they grow, subject to program eligibility and rules. Homes that already have storage installed are the ones ready to benefit when these opportunities expand.

Getting storage without buying it
Through third-party ownership programs, qualifying homeowners can get solar and battery storage installed without buying or financing equipment, while enjoying lower energy costs and backup power. PG&E is building its next power plant out of Bay Area homes. If you want yours to be part of it, start by finding out whether you qualify.

To find out if your home qualifies for a TPO solar and battery program, visit myhomesolution.org/california_public_utility_commissions