Expanded virtual power plant offerings in California will bolster grid reliability amid rising electricity prices and energy demand

Leap, the leading platform for building and scaling virtual power plants (VPPs), today announced an expansion of its California offerings. The extended program suite gives distributed energy resource (DER) providers streamlined access to new grid revenue opportunities at a pivotal time for California’s electricity system.

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Technologies like smart thermostats and electric vehicles will have more opportunities to earn revenue by supporting California's electric grid through Leap's platform.

“California’s grid is under pressure from extreme weather and rapid electrification,” said Andrew Hoffman, Chief Development Officer at Leap. “At the same time, EVs, storage, and smart buildings are taking off. By extending market access for more of those new technologies, we’re helping DER providers diversify their revenue, engage more customers with VPP offerings, and deliver the flexible, cost-effective capacity our electricity system urgently needs.”

Leap will support three additional offerings in California:

• Demand Side Grid Support (DSGS) Option 4, a new offering under the statewide DSGS program.
• Automated Response Technology (ART), a year-round incentive for residential DERs in PG&E territory.
• Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP) A.5, an extension of Leap’s existing ELRP offering to include bi-directional and standard electric vehicle charging.

Through Leap’s automated platform, these programs provide a fast path to VPP revenue for the growing ecosystem of smart energy technologies increasingly being deployed in homes and businesses across the state. With energy policy in California rapidly evolving and load growth accelerating, Leap’s latest offerings come at a critical time for DER operators and grid operators alike.

“Leap continues to expand the grid services programs available on its platform, unlocking more opportunities to monetize EV flexibility,” said Joseph Vellone, CEO of ChargeScape, a unified vehicle-grid integration platform for major EV automotive brands. “These new California offerings will allow us to further expand our virtual power plant in California and meaningful value to automakers and power utilities.”

DSGS Option 4 builds on the success of DSGS Option 3, of which Leap was one of the first providers to offer in 2023, and has already become one of California’s most effective demand-side programs. A recent analysis by The Brattle Group projects that DSGS could save ratepayers $206 million by 2028 by reducing the need for expensive and polluting fossil-fuel peaker plants. While Option 3 is focused on battery storage, Option 4 opens the door to a broader range of smart energy technologies, including smart thermostats, electric water heaters, and EV chargers.

Leap’s partner companies can now enroll in the expanded California program suite through its platform.

About Leap

Leap is the leading platform for building and scaling virtual power plants (VPPs). Through its software-only solution, Leap facilitates fast, easy and automated access to demand response and other grid services revenue streams for the providers of battery storage systems, EV chargers, smart building technologies, and other distributed energy resources (DERs). Managing over 200,000 energy sites and devices across U.S. energy markets, Leap empowers more than 90 technology partners and their customers to unlock new value and help create a more flexible, resilient grid powered by renewable resources. Visit leap.energy to learn more.

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With energy policy in California rapidly evolving and load growth accelerating, Leap’s latest offerings come at a critical time for DER operators and grid operators alike.