PSE&G launches new GridSmart residential battery pilot
Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) has introduced its new GridSmart Battery Program as a pilot in the state of New Jersey, officials say.
The new pilot program aims to help residential electric customers in New Jersey offset the costs of purchasing and installing residential battery energy storage system (BESS) products. As part of the program, the company will provide $5,000 in incentives to customers toward purchase and installation, and the option for up to $25,000 in interest-free, on-bill installation repayments.
According to PSE&G representatives, this pilot program will help further the state’s renewable energy processes, evaluating how residential battery systems can help support virtual power plant (VPP) programs in the state.
“Home battery storage is a great way to make homes more resilient,” says Lauren Thomas, VP of clean energy solutions and customer solutions at PSE&G. “Through the GridSmart Battery Program, we’re giving customers another way to invest in their homes by adding reliable backup power while helping us better understand how residential battery storage can support a more reliable electric grid. It’s an important step in helping shape the future of energy in New Jersey.”
Additionally, the company says participating battery systems may see use as part of a VPP during GridSmart Battery Events. These grid events aim to reduce stress on the state’s wider energy grid during peak usage times, instead drawing electricity from residential batteries to power the customer’s home for a given period of time.
Greenifying the Garden State
The move comes as part of a statewide alignment with New Jersey’s efforts in the realm of renewable energy. Earlier this year, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) launched a stakeholder process in an attempt to develop a statewide VPP network.
The VPP option aims to support New Jersey’s grid modernization efforts and, once again, allow the wider state energy grid to breathe easier during times of peak usage.
“Benefits to the larger energy system include potentially deferring or avoiding transmission,” the company says, “or distribution upgrades or reducing the need for more power at peak times, providing measurable savings to customers.”
Residential customers potentially interested in the program, its requirements, and qualifying system can visit the company’s website. The pilot program is currently underway.
