Virtual power plant solutions help tackle rising demand in the largest U.S. electricity market

Leap, the leading platform for launching and scaling virtual power plants (VPPs), has announced its entry into PJM Interconnection LLC (PJM), the largest wholesale electricity market in the United States. This expansion enables Leap’s technology partners with distributed energy resources (DERs) in PJM territory to unlock new energy market revenue streams while helping reduce emissions and boosting grid resilience.

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Leap has entered the PJM Interconnection LLC (PJM), the largest wholesale electricity market in the United States. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Leap’s software-only solution will facilitate fast, dynamic access to PJM grid programs for the providers of battery storage, electric vehicle (EV) chargers, and smart building technologies, allowing customer devices to automatically adjust energy usage to help balance the grid during emergency energy events. Leap’s partners can leverage Leap Connect to streamline customer registration and data authorization processes, overcoming the complexities of utility data access that often hinder PJM market entry. With Leap’s universal interface and APIs, partners can seamlessly manage their Leap-powered VPP offerings across different electricity markets, making it easy to quickly deploy offerings in new regions.

PJM operates the nation’s highest peak load and serves over 65 million customers across 13 states and the District of Columbia, which include several major cities and energy-intensive data centers. Amid rising energy demand and the retirement of aging thermal power plants, PJM’s capacity prices hit record highs for the 2025-26 delivery year. VPPs offer a cost-effective solution to address grid stability challenges while helping customers lower their energy bills, and they can be deployed far more quickly than traditional generation assets that require lengthy interconnection processes.

“With pressures on PJM’s grid intensifying, there’s never been a more important time to tap into the flexible capacity we already have installed in our homes and businesses through distributed energy resources,” said Andrew Hoffman, Chief Development Officer at Leap. “This marks Leap’s fifth U.S. market launch, and we love seeing our partners use our universal platform to scale across regions without the heavy lift of navigating each new market entry. By facilitating fast, efficient participation in PJM, Leap will provide crucial grid relief while creating meaningful new revenue opportunities for our partners.”

One example of these solutions is Carrier’s SmartSave program, which helps homeowners manage energy use efficiently through intelligent, grid-connected thermostats. SmartSave enables customers to optimize their energy consumption during peak demand periods while earning rewards for participation, contributing to both cost savings and grid resiliency. Through its partnership with Leap, Carrier seamlessly integrates its SmartSave program into VPPs, expanding access to dynamic energy management tools that help stabilize the grid while providing direct benefits to homeowners.

“We’re thrilled to expand our SmartSave program into PJM and bring our energy management solutions to even more customers in this critical region,” said Christine Rasche, Associate Director of Home Energy Management Solutions at Carrier. “Leap’s platform made it easy to seamlessly scale our program into a new market, helping us deliver on our mission to empower customers with smarter, more sustainable energy solutions while contributing to grid stability.”

About Leap

Leap is the leading platform for launching 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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