[gwbas1c]

One example is coordinating Tesla Powerwalls (home battery backup): https://www.tesla.com/support/energy/virtual-power-plant/pge

> By becoming a part of the Tesla Virtual Power Plant (VPP) with PG&E, your Powerwall will be dispatched when the grid needs emergency support. Through the Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP), you will receive $2.00 for every additional kWh your Powerwall delivers during an event.

I should point out that I have a Powerwall, and I have no incentive from my electric utility to use it in any way. Overall, with rebates, it cost slightly more than a standby generator, and but it requires no maintenance, so it's "worth it" for me.

But, $2.00 back on a kwh is pretty nice, IMO.

[noveltyaccount]

Wow - $2.00 is crazy. I pay $0.15 per kWh (pacific northwest, inexpensive hydroelectric power). 13X, quite an incentive, even if rare.

[zbrozek]

California's PG&E is the biggest utility in the US. In their territory electricity on the default residential plan ranges from $0.41 to $0.54 per KWh.

[gwbas1c]

Still, that's 4x back. It really helps incentivize buying a larger powerwall, and disincentivizes the power company from sapping the battery dry right before you need it.

[zbrozek]

Yeah, I'm not saying it's a bad deal for the battery owner, but rather that it isn't the huge spread that you had assumed based on a reasonable electricity price. :shrug:

[Scoundreller]

How many hours a year would one expect to get this?

[callalex]

And they’re raising prices again next year.

[toomuchtodo]

You're paying retail rate. The utility pays spot prices and attempts to manage the spot price vs retail rate spread over a window of time.

[Scoundreller]

Why $2 though? When prices hit $1.50, they’ll just hit up their physical generators instead of your battery?