virtual power plants, VPPs, distributed energy resources, DERs, aggregate power, renewables, reliability, energy optimization, clean energy mandates, Texas, California, Hawaii

Virtual power plants (VPPs), an aggregation of distributed energy resources, provide a deeper integration of demand flexibility and renewables on our energy grid, which can offer cleaner and more affordable power. They operate by aggregating distributed energy resources (DERs) to meet grid needs and optimize consumer energy usage.