ComEd to launch battery-focused VPP for Illinois customers in 2027
Illinoisan electrical utility Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) has received approval from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) for its Scheduled Dispatch Virtual Power Plant (SDVPP) program, set to launch in 2027.
Shaped by the state’s Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA), the VPP initiative aims to increase the amount of battery storage — specifically residential storage — across northern Illinois. From there, the storage can relieve the increasing pressure on the state’s grid, supporting both reliability and affordability for customers.
“ComEd is focused on advancing innovative solutions that strengthen the grid while helping customers better manage their energy use and costs,” says Andrew Plenge, VP of strategy and energy policy at ComEd.
“This Scheduled Dispatch Virtual Power Plant program, as envisioned by CRGA, is an important step in bolstering the potential of customer-sited energy resources to make the grid more resilient during periods of peak demand while helping customers receive additional value for their support at a time when supply costs are rising.”
Electrical demand is continuing to spike, with Illinois and Chicagoland seeing an outsized risk of grid strain among other Midwestern states. Driven by increased electrification, data centers, and increasing inclement weather, VPPs and other solutions have become high priorities in electricity-hungry states.
Expanding on the VPP plan
ComEd’s vision for the SDVPP program revolves around the state’s wider plan for renewable energy policy, state officials say, and has plans for expansion later this decade. The utility says that it hopes to include other distributed energy sources by 2029, bolstering its VPP with resources like EVs.
“This program is exactly what Illinois lawmakers intended when they passed the Clean and Reliable Affordable Grid Act last fall: a way to quickly put distributed energy resources to work for the whole grid,” says Will Kenworthy, Midwest regulatory director at Vote Solar. “We are excited to see ComEd move quickly to stand up the Scheduled Dispatch Virtual Power Plant, which rewards customers for sharing their stored energy during peak demand while driving down system costs for all ratepayers. It’s a model for how the clean energy transition can save people money.”
The now-confirmed VPP is one in a series of expanded energy initiatives by ComEd, aiming to keep the Illinois grid healthy. In recent years, the company has awarded more than $2.5 billion in energy efficiency incentives, the utility says, and has connected over 1.8 GW of distributed energy to the grid.
