Partner profile
Helping customers and the TX grid by building a 1 GW VPP with NRG
When it comes to potential impact on savings and grid reliability, the Lone Star State is an optimal place for home energy management and VPP solutions like those from Renew Home.
Texas is experiencing a significant increase in peak energy demand due to population, load growth, and extreme weather, reaching an unprecedented demand surge of over 85 GW in 2024. Of the 10 million homes in Texas, 83% have central air conditioning — compared to 67% of homes nationwide.1 That prevalence of central air conditioning means that equipping Texans with energy-saving and shifting technology via smart thermostats has the potential to contribute to significant statewide impact.
Together, NRG and Renew Home aim to distribute hundreds of thousands of VPP-enabled smart thermostats by 2035, and create a nearly 1 GW AI-powered VPP to improve the Texas grid's resiliency and help households manage and lower their energy costs.
A 1 GW VPP delivers capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand. To build the VPP, NRG, in partnership with Renew Home, plans to offer Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, including professional installation, at no cost to eligible customers across NRG’s retail electricity providers and plans. These advanced thermostats make subtle automatic HVAC adjustments to help customers shift their energy use to times when electricity is less constrained, less expensive, and cleaner.
By combining smart devices, energy intelligence, and AI, this innovative program gives consumers comfort and control through a modern and efficient energy experience. Over time, the parties expect to add devices like batteries and electric vehicles to the VPP, expanding energy savings opportunities for customers.
