Tesla Wants Powerwall Users To Create A Virtual Power Plant In Texas
Tesla is asking volunteers to participate in a program that will stitch their Powerwall batteries into a virtual power plant in order to demonstrate that it can provide a reliable flow of electrical power to the Texas grid. This could be especially useful in blackout scenarios triggered by bad weather or demand surges. This is not the first initiative of its kind for Tesla, though. In July last year, Tesla announced a similar program for residents of California, asking them to essentially lease their Tesla Powerwall to stabilize the California power grid and enable residents to tap into the reserve power of a battery network during electrical outages.
The idea was that the Powerwall batteries will discharge during peak hours after notifying users in the afternoon, diverting that residual power to the power grid. Of course, users had the option to increase the backup reserve level to limit the extent of power discharged from the battery and ensure that they had enough juice left in the tank to power their own home in case of an unpredictable power outage. There was no compensation or reward in place, except a vague assurance of net-zero impact on the bill. Tesla is now taking the next step towards making inroads in the power supply industry by leveraging its network of Powerwall batteries in other states.
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The next target is Texas, where Tesla is trying to convince the state that home battery installations can provide valuable energy backups to the grid to enhance its capacity and ensure that residents face fewer difficulties due to supply uncertainties. The Elon Musk-led company aims to convince the Electric Reliability Council of Texas
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