Virtual Power Plants

The region’s rising electricity demand, driven by rapid data center expansion in the Mid-Atlantic and electrification in the Northeast, has put a renewed focus on state policies that can deliver affordable, reliable, and efficient energy. New legislation in states across the region seeks to meet this challenge by advancing technologies and programs that maximize existing grid resources to reduce costs for consumers. 

Last month, NEEP kicked off its annual Summit in Baltimore, MD against a backdrop of growing concerns around energy affordability, load growth, and pressures on energy efficiency program funding. One of the first sessions, “Big Loads, Big Opportunities,” wove all three themes together in a discussion of how energy efficiency, demand flexibility, and virtual power plants can enable new large load development in a timely, efficient, and affordable way.