Voltus, a distributed energy resource (DER) platform, and Google have announced an expanded agreement to build a 1 gigawatt (GW) virtual power plant (VPP) in the PJM grid region.
The deal adds 1,070 megawatts (MW) of capacity to the 100 MW initial agreement the companies signed in June 2026, and it is described as one of the largest known distributed capacity portfolios deployed by a hyperscaler to date.
As in the first agreement, Voltus will aggregate new capacity from local businesses and homes into a Google-funded VPP. When the grid is under strain, Voltus signals those sites, which can cut energy use through batteries, smart thermostats, industrial process adjustments, and other flexible assets. Participating customers receive bill savings and direct payments.
“Expanding our initial commitment tenfold demonstrates our core effort to actively bring our own capacity to the grids that serve us,” said Ellen Zuckerman, head of energy market development for North & South America at Google, in a statement. “Procuring this capacity through a gigawatt-scale virtual power plant ensures Google’s operations in PJM support regional reliability and deliver direct economic benefits to local communities.”
PJM serves 67 million customers across 13 states and the District of Columbia. The announcement cites a recent Brattle Group report estimating that U.S. consumers could save more than $100 billion over the next decade through better use of the existing grid.
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