How Texas Homes Are Becoming Mini Power Plants

A powerful alliance in Texas is launching zero-cost home battery networks to build a smarter, more resilient energy grid.

15 May 2025

Four energy companies have formed a partnership to deploy a virtual power plant (VPP) in Texas, aiming to improve grid stability and lower household electricity costs.

Abundance Energy, sonnen, Energywell and SOLRITE Energy will combine their respective services to connect homes into a distributed network with 60 megawatt-hours of aggregated battery capacity. Participating households will store solar power in smart batteries and supply it back to the grid during periods of high demand.

Sonnen will provide battery units capable of storing and managing solar generation. Energywell will operate software that monitors and coordinates electricity use across the network in real time. SOLRITE Energy will offer financing to remove upfront costs for households, while Abundance Energy will integrate the service into electricity plans.

The network has already supplied power during periods of system stress, contributing to events documented by grid operators. “This partnership is about more than just technology,” an Energywell executive said. “It’s about building a smarter energy future through collaboration and shared value.”

Households will incur no installation cost for the batteries and will receive monthly bill savings, with potential additional payments for providing power to the grid. The companies said the approach is intended to make participation straightforward and financially attractive.

The initiative comes as Texas regulators consider policy measures to encourage decentralised energy resources and flexible grid services. The companies say the programme could support those goals by showing how residential assets can operate as part of a coordinated system.

While supply of battery equipment and the pace of regulatory change could affect rollout, the companies expect the VPP to demonstrate the benefits of distributed storage at scale. They said the model could be replicated in other regions if market conditions allow.