Clean Energy Works is excited to celebrate Rural Power Coalition’s (RPC) recent accomplishment in publishing a comprehensive resource page and video on virtual power plants (VPPs). This page showcases VPPs’ potential to transform energy access for cooperatives and rural communities, explaining how VPPs operate and the benefits they bring to both the grid and local communities.
What is a Virtual Power Plant?
A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a network that connects homes, farms, and businesses using renewable energy sources like rooftop solar, batteries, heat pumps, and smart appliances. Unlike traditional power plants, a VPP doesn’t rely on one central facility. Instead, it creates a coordinated system where each participant contributes power and flexibility. The utility can utilize this connected grid of individual devices to help increase the efficiency of the grid and extreme weather events.
Why VPPs Are Essential for Rural Communities
VPPs are particularly valuable in rural areas where reliance on electricity for heating, cooking, and water heating is growing. Rural Electric Cooperatives (RECs) are seeing increasing demand as member-owners shift to electric options and clean energy sources. As rural communities face rises in extreme weather events, making investments in local resilience—like battery storage and behind-the-meter technologies—is vital. VPPs offer an efficient way to address these needs by enhancing energy reliability and grid stability at a lower cost.
Community Benefits of Virtual Power Plants
According to a study by The Brattle Group, VPPs can provide resource adequacy for roughly 40–60% of the cost of alternatives like gas peaker plants, while offering more localized benefits. These savings benefit not only the co-op but also its members and the wider community, creating a ripple effect of economic and environmental advantages.
Rural Power Coalition’s mission is to elevate rural communities as leaders of a just and clean energy transition across the United States. They advance this mission through member-owner engagement, clean energy investment on inclusive terms, and federal policy advocacy.
