California’s Assembly Appropriations Committee has advanced two virtual power plant (VPP) bills authored by State Senator Josh Becker, moving them closer to a full Assembly vote and potential signing by Governor Gavin Newsom.
According to Energy Storage News, Senate Bill 913 would require the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to establish a valuation methodology for customer-sited battery energy storage systems to export energy onto the grid during periods of stress.
A separate California Independent System Operator (CAISO) staff proposal, set to go before the Board of Governors on August 26, would allow exports from behind-the-meter batteries to participate in the statewide energy market and qualify for resource adequacy with the full amount of stored energy available on demand.
Senate Bill 905 would establish a grid utilization metric measuring load factor across distribution grid segments, exposing which circuits and substations can accommodate more energy without costly infrastructure upgrades.
The CPUC could then mandate annual improvements in grid utilization rates, with utilities creating load flexibility programs to shift customer usage away from peak hours.
This grid storage capacity now represents approximately one-third of the state’s peak demand.
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