Virtual power plant roundup: Flexibility portfolios grow amid rising grid load

Virtual power plants (VPPs) are taking shape across different layers of the energy system, from telecom infrastructure and grid-scale batteries to EVs, homes and commercial loads. 

A series of announcements in recent weeks shows how VPP models are being applied to very different asset bases across the globe, each targeting resilience, market access and flexibility.

Telecom towers as a VPP platform

Vantage Towers Spain and Elisa Industriq’s Gridle have agreed on a collaboration to lay the foundation for a VPP across Vantage Towers’ telecom infrastructure in Spain. 

The initiative begins with deployment at selected radio base station sites, where AI-powered Gridle will optimise the company’s battery systems.

Gridle was originally developed to optimise Elisa’s own fleet of batteries across Finland and Estonia. 

Today, telecom companies, including DNA Towers Finland, use the service to optimise charging, reduce emissions and participate more efficiently in energy markets. 

Gridle charges batteries during low-cost, low-emission periods, discharges them during price peaks, and trades available capacity in balancing and wholesale electricity markets. 

This intelligent optimisation reduces energy costs and carbon emissions, contributes to the communications and energy networks' resilience, and unlocks new revenue opportunities.

Commenting in a release was Nicolas Mahler, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Vantage Towers:

“In moments when storms, power cuts and hybrid threats challenge the resilience of communications networks, it becomes our duty as an industry to explore all avenues that can help strengthen continuity of service. 

“Through this collaboration, we contribute technologies that support operators in keeping networks running not only for hours, but for days when circumstances demand it."

Added Jukka-Pekka Salmenkaita, Managing Director of Gridle and VP of AI at Elisa: "Batteries are essential in protecting nationally critical telecom infrastructure. 

“The blackout in Spain and Portugal last year reminded us how quickly society is disrupted when networks go down. We are pleased to collaborate with Vantage Towers to demonstrate how battery investments can turn resilience into operational excellence and financial gains when managed with intelligent systems like Gridle.”

300MW battery joins UK VPP

Statkraft and emsys VPP have integrated the 300MW Thurrock battery storage facility into a virtual power plant in the United Kingdom.

Following its connection in 2025, the project enables Statkraft, as a direct marketer, to manage a gigawatt-scale portfolio of installed battery capacity in the UK.

By connecting the large-scale battery to the VPP, emsys VPP enables participation in wholesale markets and balancing services, specifically dynamic services and reactive power. 

The Thurrock facility contributes to grid stabilisation by maintaining frequency and providing reactive power, positioning large-scale storage as an active participant in system services rather than a standalone asset.

For emsys VPP, the project serves as a reference case for integrating large-scale storage into modern electricity markets.

Said the company’s Dr Ulrich Focken, Managing Director: “The successful connection of Thurrock highlights our capacity to deliver intricate storage solutions worldwide and assist our partners in optimising their flexibility.”

More on virtual power plants:
How a Finnish tech company is turning EVs into a virtual power plant
Spain’s Wallbox launches virtual power plants in New York and California
US virtual power plant capacity reaches 37.5GWh over last year says Wood Mackenzie

EV managed charging as grid resource

Across the pond, several announcements also signal a growing market for VPPs in the US. 

New York’s EnergyHub and California’s Rivian have partnered to expand access to utility EV programmes for Rivian drivers across North America. 

The collaboration combines Rivian’s direct-to-driver engagement with EnergyHub’s managed charging capabilities to enhance the value of EV programmes for customers and utilities.

Rivian vehicles will be eligible for both passive and active managed charging programmes. 

EnergyHub’s technology enables dynamic load shaping, coordinating EV charging to deliver required energy while conforming to distribution network capacity constraints. This grid-aware approach integrates into EnergyHub’s broader VPP platform alongside connected thermostats, batteries and other flexible devices.

Said Andrew Peterman, Director of Advanced Energy Solutions at Rivian: "Partnering with EnergyHub allows us to provide even more drivers with the opportunity to simplify their daily routine through intuitive smart charging features built directly into the Rivian ecosystem.

"By integrating managed charging programs, we’re not only lowering costs for our drivers and elevating the ownership experience, but also ensuring that every Rivian on the road contributes to a more resilient and secure grid for everyone.”

Residential systems join DividendVPP

EG4 Electronics has announced participation in DividendVPP, a virtual power plant offering designed to enable intelligent, revenue-generating optimisation for residential and light commercial systems.

Through DividendVPP, EG4’s inverters and battery systems gain coordinated forecasting, optimisation and real-time control across distributed energy resources. 

DividendVPP uses different technologies, such as Lightsmith Energy to provide forecasting and optimisation through its Flowsmith AI platform, identifying and prioritising grid and market opportunities. Molecule Systems supplies edge-based execution and control infrastructure, enabling systems to respond to dispatch signals under live grid conditions.

Said Clinton O’Neill, VPP & DER Development Manager at EG4 Electronics: “Our mission at EG4 is to deliver dependable whole-home energy solutions that make sense in the real world, not just technically, but financially.

“By participating in DividendVPP, we’re adding intelligence and execution capabilities that allow our hardware to work harder for homeowners, transforming passive equipment into active smart assets that anticipate grid needs and maximise value on both sides of the meter.”

Generation and C&I VPP scale up

NRG Energy has completed the acquisition of a portfolio of generation assets and CPower from LS Power. 

The deal includes CPower’s commercial and industrial VPP platform and 18 natural-gas-fired generation facilities totalling approximately 13GW.

The transaction doubles NRG’s generation fleet to around 25GW and expands its demand response and VPP capabilities to better serve residential, commercial and large-load customers.

Said Larry Coben, NRG Chair and CEO: "Today, we are doubling down on power generation to respond to the incredible power demand supercycle.

"This transaction builds on our leading platform and enables NRG to offer an ever-broader range of affordable, resilient solutions for customers of all sizes, from data centres to households. We are putting scale and reliability to work to deliver for the eight million customers we serve every day."

Scaling load flexibility

In a separate move, Voltus and Octopus Energy US have launched a partnership to scale load flexibility across the US. 

The companies will jointly deliver Flexibility-as-a-Service and Bring Your Own Capacity (BYCC) solutions to utilities, grid operators and data centres. 

From 2026, Octopus will supply Voltus with aggregations of residential devices, including smart thermostats, EVs and home batteries, in PJM, MISO, New York and California. Voltus will add this capacity to its existing VPP portfolios while enabling participation in Octopus VPPs.

Said Dana Guernsey, CEO of Voltus: “Octopus understands that load flexibility is the fastest to deploy form of capacity.

“By combining our platforms and customer relationships, we can deploy VPPs at the accelerated scale and speed that is needed to meet today’s load growth needs.”

“The clean energy transition is creating an urgent, multi-billion-dollar opportunity for demand side flexibility that Octopus Energy and Voltus can address with Flexibility-as-a-Service,” said Nick Chaset, CEO of Octopus US. 

“By combining the unique, complementary strengths of Octopus Energy and Voltus, we can move faster to deliver flexibility at the scale the grid needs, while putting money back in consumers’ pockets.”