Tesla Virtual Power Plant (VPP), a program created by the EV maker together with PG&E that was launched in 2021, was able to expand its members.

(Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @broadscaler)
Tesla Virtual Power Plant Joined by Thousands of Powerwall Owners—Interested? Here are VPP's Benefits and Other Details

PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric Company), an American utility, confirmed that they accepted more than 1,500 Tesla Powerwall users on July 7.

As of writing, this number of VPP members is still far from the original goal.

When it was launched in Northern California, Tesla invited roughly 25,000 PG&E customers to help form the world's biggest distributed battery.

But, only 3,000 accepted the invitations sent by the giant automaker and PG&E.

Tesla Virtual Power Plant's Members Expands!

According to Electrek's latest report, Tesla VPP was designed to allow Powerwall owners to help Northern California's energy grid using their battery packs.

(Photo : Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
The Tesla Powerwall battery is shown installed at Rongomai School on May 13, 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand. The Powerwall and solar system by lines company Vector was launched at Otaras Rongomai School, one of thirty Auckland schools which will benefit from the state-of-the-art solar and battery package.

Also Read: Tesla AI Head Andrej Karpathy Resigns; Reasons for His Resignation, Contributions, and Other Details

By sending a portion of their Powerwall's energy, VPP members can help prevent brownouts and other more significant power outages.

Thanks to the increasing numbers of VPP members, the Tesla Virtual Power Plant is expected to offer more energy assistance.

PG&E explained that if all the eligible Powerwall owners join the program, the VPP will be able to generate megawatts equal to a small power plant.

As of writing, the official Tesla Support page said that the Virtual Power Plant program is not accepting new enrollments yet.

"Information about other programs will be available in the Tesla app for customers who are identified as potentially eligible," explained that EV maker.

Tesla VPP's Offered Benefits 

One of the benefits offered by the Tesla Virtual Power Plant is allowing Powerwall owners to earn. The EV maker stated that those who joined the program would receive $2 for every kWh they donate to the project. 

But, the main goal of VPP is not to be a money-making program. Instead, it was created to benefit California's energy grid. Among the main benefits it offers to the state are the following: 

• Can clean the energy grid of California. 
• Has the capability to reduce blackouts by stabilizing the state's power grid. 
• Can create a community where Tesla Powerwall owners can work together to prevent power outages. 

If you are among the eligible Powerwall owners and are interested in joining the Virtual Power Plant program, here are the steps you can follow: 

1. First, open your Tesla app (version 3.10.14 is required) and switch to your home. 
2. After that, scroll down until you reach the Tesla Virtual Power Plant option. 
3. Then, click it and follow the provided instructions. 

Previously, Tesla Australia decided to remove the company's offered Mobile Connector from new EV purchases. 

On the other hand, Elon Musk decided not to hype the launch of his new Tesla FSD Beta v11 update. 

For more news updates about Tesla and its upcoming energy-friendly programs, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. \

Related Article: Tesla Urges Texas EV Owners to Avoid Charging as Powerwalls Await ERCOT Regulation Amendments

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Written by: Griffin Davis