PG&E SHARE VPP Launches to Cut Costs in Bay Area
September 7, 2026 — Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) announced the rollout of SHARE – Smart Home Assets for Reliability and Efficiency – a first‑of‑its‑kind virtual power plant (VPP) targeting Bay Area neighborhoods. The program, backed by Google, Rewiring America, Carrier, Tesla, Sunrun, Renew Home and Demand Side Analytics, will connect roughly 21,000 home batteries, smart thermostats and battery‑enabled heat pumps to reduce demand during peak periods. SHARE is set to begin operations in the fall of 2026, with eligible households in Santa Clara and Alameda counties receiving new equipment and incentives. By aggregating distributed energy resources, the VPP aims to improve grid reliability, curb electricity rates, and give participants direct savings, addressing the surge in California’s electric load.
How the SHARE VPP Operates
The VPP aggregates existing flexible devices and newly installed battery‑enabled heat pumps into a coordinated network that can shift load when the grid is stressed. Homeowners will earn rewards for allowing their devices to respond automatically, helping PG&E defer costly transmission upgrades.
“This is about delivering power at the speed our economy demands—while improving affordability and reliability for the people we serve,” said Chelle Izzi, Chief Commercial Officer, PG&E. “SHARE shows how investing in customers can unlock grid capacity, support growth, and bring real benefits back to communities.”
Partnerships Powering the Initiative
“Home energy devices hold enormous, untapped capacity that can meaningfully improve affordability and reliability for all Californians,” said Mary Powell, CEO of Sunrun. “This initiative unlocks that potential while giving customers an opportunity to share in the economic benefits of helping improve their local grid.”
“As energy demand grows, SHARE demonstrates how Carrier can help deliver distributed capacity with the firmness to scale as a fast and reliable grid resource,” said Hakan Yilmaz, President, Carrier Energy & Chief Sustainability Officer. “Carrier’s battery-enabled HVAC technology brings together our trusted comfort, market presence and dealer scale to help deliver homeowner value and reliable grid flexibility.”
Impact on Customers and Grid
Participating households will see lower monthly bills through smarter energy management, enhanced comfort, and increased home resilience. The aggregated resources will act as a distributed power plant, providing additional capacity during peak events and supporting new electric loads such as EV chargers.
“This initiative shows how households can be part of the energy solution,” said Ari Matusiak, Founder and CEO of Rewiring America. “By helping families upgrade their homes with efficient electric technologies, we can lower costs, improve comfort, and optimize California’s grid capacity at the same time.”
“As demand scales, our current electricity grid can bridge the gap—if we optimize it correctly,” said Amanda Peterson Corio, Global Head of Energy & Power at Google. “This program unlocks the potential of local distributed energy resources to strengthen grid capacity and resiliency while delivering meaningful benefits for local communities.”
The SHARE PG&E virtual power plant model will be evaluated throughout 2026‑27, with findings slated for release in early 2027. If successful, the approach could expand beyond residential users to commercial and industrial sectors, offering a scalable pathway for California and other states to meet rising electricity demand without sacrificing affordability.
I'm Amelia Bonner, an energy storage researcher and technical content writer focused on the technologies shaping the future of reliable, flexible, and sustainable energy systems. My work explores battery energy storage, grid-scale storage, renewable energy integration, battery technologies, and emerging energy storage solutions.
