{
  "id": 16035281,
  "title": "We are working with Voltus to build a 1-gigawatt virtual power plant.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/we-are-working-with-voltus-to-build-a-1-gigawatt-virtual-power-plant",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-22T11:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Google Blog",
    "slug": "google-blog",
    "url": "https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/infrastructure-and-cloud/global-network/virtual-power-plant-1-gigawatt/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Google and Voltus have announced an expanded partnership to create a substantial 1-gigawatt virtual power plant across the PJM grid region. This region powers 67 million people in 13 states and Washington, D.C. The virtual power plant works by collecting flexible capacity from diverse sources such as smart thermostats, batteries, and industrial assets from local businesses and homes. During peak demand, these assets temporarily cut energy usage to help maintain grid stability. In return for their participation, customers receive economic advantages like lower bills and cash payments. This expansion builds upon an earlier 100-megawatt agreement and stands as one of the largest distributed capacity portfolios deployed by a major tech company to date. This initiative underscores Google's dedication to contributing fresh capacity to local grids while enhancing regional reliability and affordability.",
  "summary": "Google and Voltus are building a 1-gigawatt virtual power plant to boost grid reliability for 67 million people. See how this expansion works.",
  "key_points": [
    "Google partners with Voltus to build 1-gigawatt virtual power plant",
    "Powers 67 million people across 13 states and Washington, D.C.",
    "Expands on 100-megawatt agreement, largest distributed capacity portfolio"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Scaling distributed energy resources through a massive virtual power plant allows tech giants to stabilize regional grids while providing direct financial incentives to residential and industrial energy consumers.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}