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Google and energy-services company Voltus have raised their target for a virtual power plant in the PJM grid region from 100 megawatts to 1 gigawatt. Voltus says the capacity will come from customers who agree to reduce electricity use or provide battery power during peak needs, with commitments extending through 2040; the companies have not provided a timeline for reaching the target.
Google and Voltus plan to secure 1 gigawatt of virtual power plant capacity in the PJM Interconnection region, increasing their earlier 100-megawatt target tenfold as electricity demand from data centers adds pressure to the grid. The companies say the capacity will be assembled from homes and businesses that can cut electricity use or supply battery power when the system needs it.
The announcement expands an initial goal the companies set in June. Voltus CEO Dana Guernsey said the first 100 megawatts was intended as an initial step toward a larger program. The new target is for capacity Voltus is procuring for Google, and Guernsey said it is in addition to resources Voltus already bids into PJM’s capacity market.
A virtual power plant links distributed resources through software rather than relying on one large generating station. Participants can be paid to reduce power use at peak times, while sites with batteries can provide electricity or shift when they draw power. Voltus says it is seeking commitments from participating customers to provide those services through 2040, a longer period than many demand-response arrangements.
Google’s head of energy market development for North and South America, Ellen Zuckerman, said in a company statement that the capacity would “support regional reliability and deliver direct economic benefits to local communities.” Guernsey said Google’s VPP capacity would be 100% carbon-free, without fossil-fueled backup generators or other emitting resources. The companies have not disclosed which customers or specific resources will make up the planned gigawatt.
A Demand Response Plan for PJM
The plan addresses a difficult timing problem for PJM: demand is rising, while new generation and transmission projects can take years to build and connect. A virtual power plant could aggregate reductions in electricity use and battery output from multiple locations, offering grid support without constructing a single new power station for the program. The extent of that support will depend on how much capacity Voltus actually secures and when it can be called on.
Canary Media reported that PJM’s costs for securing enough power to meet peak demand have risen more than eightfold in recent years. PJM forecasts that large new loads, including data centers, will add 30 to 34 gigawatts of demand by the early 2030s. The scale of Google’s proposed program is therefore material, but its announced target is not the same as capacity already enrolled, operating, or available to the grid.
For Google, paying customers to provide flexibility could help address concerns about the local grid impacts of data-center growth. For participating homes and businesses, the proposed long-term commitments may offer a reason to invest in batteries or accept payments for reducing use. Those benefits remain prospective: public details about enrollment, compensation and delivery are not yet available.
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PJM Faces Rising Large Loads
PJM operates the regional grid and wholesale electricity market serving about 67 million people across parts of Illinois, Virginia and other states. The system recently recorded a peak demand of 162.6 gigawatts. At the same time, PJM has faced a crowded queue of proposed power projects seeking to connect to the grid, complicating efforts to bring new supply online.
Voltus has operated in demand response for nearly a decade and manages more than 9 gigawatts of demand-response and VPP capacity across the country, according to the report. In 2025, it introduced a “bring your own capacity” approach under which data-center developers would pay other electricity customers to reduce consumption or provide flexible resources. Google is the only data-center developer Voltus has publicly identified as a partner on this approach.
The companies’ longer-term commitments would reach beyond the timeframe of PJM’s annual capacity auction, which secures resources roughly three years ahead. Voltus has also set a goal of reaching 20 gigawatts of capacity by 2030 and raised $225 million earlier this month, according to Canary Media. The source report said the funding was intended to support the company’s growth.
“Support regional reliability and deliver direct economic benefits to local communities.”
— Ellen Zuckerman, Google’s head of energy market development for North and South America
Timeline and Enrollment Remain Open
No timeline has been announced for reaching the 1-gigawatt target. Google has also not specified how the program will be linked to particular existing or planned data centers in PJM territory, or how much capacity is already under contract rather than still being sought.
The announcement does not provide details on participating customers, locations, payment terms, battery deployment, or how often and for how long participants may be asked to reduce electricity use. It is also unclear how the planned resources will be verified and made available at the moments PJM needs them. The 1-gigawatt figure is a target, not a report of capacity already delivering service.
The companies say the resources will be carbon-free, but the announcement does not give a project-by-project accounting of the technologies or explain how that commitment will be monitored. The program’s eventual contribution to grid reliability and local electricity costs cannot be determined from the details released so far.
Details Needed to Measure Delivery
The next meaningful milestones will be evidence of customer enrollment, specific battery or load-reduction commitments, and a schedule for bringing the capacity online. Google and Voltus may also provide details on how the resources will be matched to locations and grid needs as the program develops.
Until those details emerge, the announced gigawatt remains a procurement goal rather than confirmed operating capacity. PJM’s load forecasts and the progress of its generation interconnection queue will help show how much flexibility the grid needs, while actual program performance will determine whether the proposed resources can provide dependable relief during peak periods.
Key Questions
What did Google and Voltus announce?
They announced a target to secure 1 gigawatt of virtual power plant capacity in PJM, up from an earlier 100-megawatt target. No completion date was given.
How does a virtual power plant work?
It coordinates resources at multiple homes and businesses. Participants may be paid to reduce electricity use when demand is high, while battery owners can provide stored power or shift their energy use.
Why is the program aimed at PJM?
PJM serves about 67 million people and is facing rising electricity demand, including from data centers. The grid operator also has a crowded queue of projects waiting to connect.
When will the capacity be available?
The companies have not disclosed a timeline. The 1-gigawatt figure is a target, and details about enrolled customers and operating capacity have not been released.
Will the planned resources use fossil fuels?
Voltus CEO Dana Guernsey said the capacity being secured for Google would be 100% carbon-free and would not rely on fossil-fueled backup generators or other emitting resources. The announcement did not provide a detailed resource list or monitoring plan.
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