D.C. Just Made Its Parking Lots Part of the Power Grid

Washington D.C. launches a $3M open-source virtual power plant pilot, turning rooftops and EV chargers into a coordinated grid resource

25 Mar 2026

Washington D.C. has launched a $3mn, five-year project to coordinate distributed energy resources into a single virtual power plant, using open-source software that backers say other cities could replicate without proprietary constraints.

The District of Columbia Public Service Commission awarded the contract in February to Ecosuite and Ecogy Energy, with active deployment beginning on March 23. The project, part of the city's PowerPath DC initiative, spans at least three sites across the capital.

At each location, rooftop solar panels, battery storage systems and electric vehicle chargers will communicate in real time with the broader grid. Ecosuite's open-source platform, supported by on-site edge computing nodes, will aggregate these assets into a dispatchable resource capable of delivering services during peak demand.

The Commission has identified four goals: expanding the grid's capacity to host solar generation, reducing the cost and complexity of connecting new distributed energy resources, unlocking aggregated grid services from behind-the-meter assets, and improving overall resilience. Notably, the Commission has indicated the virtual power plant aggregation is expected to continue beyond the pilot period, suggesting commercial ambitions rather than a purely experimental exercise.

Pepco, which serves close to one million customers across the District and Maryland, is participating as a utility learning partner. The company aims to assess how interoperable digital tools might inform future distribution planning as demand patterns grow more complex.

The open-source architecture is what distinguishes the D.C. project from most comparable programmes in the United States, which typically rely on proprietary platforms. Building on publicly accessible infrastructure lowers barriers to adoption and reduces dependence on individual vendors.

Whether the model proves replicable at scale remains to be seen. Grid modernisation projects frequently encounter delays tied to interconnection rules, utility incentive structures and regulatory timelines that vary significantly across states. The D.C. pilot's progress will be closely watched by grid planners elsewhere weighing similar approaches.