PG&E, Google, Rewiring America Launch California VPP

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) announced the SHARE virtual power plant on September 3. The program is a proof-of-concept designed to create additional grid capacity and lower energy costs by coordinating home energy devices in the San Francisco Bay Area.

PG&E is partnering with Rewiring America, Google, Carrier, Tesla, Sunrun, and other firms. SHARE will form a coordinated network of home batteries, smart devices, and battery-enabled heat pumps. The model aims to reduce energy use during high demand periods.

Chelle Izzi, PG&E's chief commercial officer, said the initiative is about delivering power at the speed the economy demands. "SHARE shows how investing in customers can unlock grid capacity, support growth, and bring real benefits back to communities," Izzi stated.

A New Approach to Meeting Rising Demand

Electric demand is rising nationally. PG&E says it is building and modernizing its system for long-term growth. SHARE offers a complementary, near-term pathway by investing directly in homes where demand is growing.

The utility is working with Tesla, Sunrun, and Renew Home to enroll nearly 21,000 existing flexible energy devices. Participating households will gain new ways to manage costs and earn rewards. This resource is expected to begin supporting the grid in fall 2026.

Mary Powell, CEO of Sunrun, highlighted the potential of home devices. "Home energy devices hold enormous, untapped capacity that can meaningfully improve affordability and reliability for all Californians," Powell said.

Carrier is the launch partner for new deployments, providing a battery-enabled heat pump solution. Hakan Yilmaz, president of Carrier Energy, said the technology delivers distributed capacity with the firmness to scale as a fast grid resource.

Eligible customers in Santa Clara and Alameda counties will have the opportunity to receive new Carrier heat pumps, lower monthly bills, and greater home comfort. PG&E and Demand Side Analytics will orchestrate these resources into a distributed power plant.

Designed to Protect Customers

The SHARE program is structured so existing customers benefit from growing grid capacity needs. Google will fully fund the program to support customer incentives, technology deployment, and program delivery.

Amanda Peterson Corio, Global Head of Energy & Power at Google, commented on grid optimization. "This program unlocks the potential of local distributed energy resources to strengthen grid capacity and resiliency while delivering meaningful benefits for local communities," Corio said.

Rewiring America will work directly with households to deploy and enroll energy-saving electric technologies. The group will also work with local installers to ensure high quality and performance standards.

Ari Matusiak, founder and CEO of Rewiring America, said households can be part of the energy solution. Upgrading homes with efficient electric technologies can lower costs and optimize grid capacity simultaneously, according to Matusiak. PG&E will lead planning and analysis to evaluate customer impacts and system performance.

A Model for California-and Beyond

SHARE represents a new collaborative model for utilities, customers, and technology partners. The location-based approach is designed to inform future solutions for transmission constraints and local capacity challenges.

Over time, the proof of concept could expand beyond residential customers to include commercial, industrial, and utility-scale applications. This expansion could support economic growth, improve grid utilization, and lower emissions.

PG&E and Rewiring America will begin reaching out to eligible customers starting in fall 2026. The program is expected to run through 2027, with initial findings shared in late 2026 or early 2027.