Sunrun and PG&E Dispatch Energy from Northern California Homes to Form Distributed Power Plants Providing Local Grid Relief
MWN-AI** Summary
Sunrun, the leading provider of home battery storage and solar energy solutions in the U.S., has successfully partnered with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to create a groundbreaking distributed power plant initiative aimed at enhancing local grid reliability in Northern California. This innovative partnership, unveiled on February 24, 2026, involved over 1,000 Sunrun customers with solar and battery systems contributing energy to alleviate local grid constraints, thus helping PG&E to defer expensive infrastructure upgrades.
The initiative, known as Local PeakShift Power, is part of PG&E's Seasonal Aggregation of Versatile Energy (SAVE) program. It demonstrated remarkable efficacy as it dispatched power more than 50 times between July and October 2025, significantly during peak demand periods, which was crucial for managing electrical loads near system capacity. Customers, like Tom Weldon from San Jose, reported a strong sense of community benefit, especially during heat waves when grid reliability is strained.
Sunrun's innovative use of machine learning and precise dispatching protocols ensured high predictability and performance of the battery systems, maintaining operational limits across the constrained power lines and substations. Each customer received compensation for sharing their stored solar energy, reinforcing the community’s role in grid support.
Both Sunrun’s CEO, Mary Powell, and PG&E’s CEO, Patti Poppe, emphasized the importance of this collaboration for enhancing grid reliability and meeting California's growing energy needs. Sunrun's extensive network of over 217,000 residential battery systems positions it uniquely to facilitate further distributed energy initiatives, thereby promoting sustainability and energy resilience across the state.
MWN-AI** Analysis
The partnership between Sunrun and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) marks a pivotal advancement in energy management and grid reliability in Northern California. Sunrun's successful deployment of over 1,000 residential battery systems to create a distributed power plant not only alleviates grid stress, especially during peak demand periods, but also reflects a growing trend toward localized energy solutions. This collaboration demonstrates the potential for home-to-grid technologies to mitigate infrastructure costs while optimizing energy distribution.
For investors considering Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the implications of this innovative model are significant. With California’s stringent energy regulations and the necessity for adaptive grid solutions, Sunrun is strategically positioned to capitalize on both market demand and regulatory support for renewable energy sources. The program’s ability to dispatch home batteries with high precision, illustrated by a 99% success rate in meeting PG&E’s dispatching instructions, enhances Sunrun’s credibility and operational reliability.
Moreover, the expansion of this program due to customer interest signifies a robust engagement model that could enhance customer loyalty and retention, translating to sustainable revenue growth. Each enrolled customer receiving compensation for their battery’s capacity reflects an effective monetization strategy, enticing more homeowners to consider renewables and energy storage.
Investors should monitor key performance indicators, such as customer enrollment growth, program efficacy, and the broader adoption of distributed energy resources in California. As ancillary revenue streams develop through innovative grid services offerings, Sunrun may project increasing financial resilience.
In conclusion, Sunrun's strategic collaboration with PG&E not only underpins its market leadership in solar and battery solutions but also positions it favorably in a landscape increasingly focused on resilience against climate-related disruptions and energy reliability challenges. This dynamic could drive long-term shareholder value and industry transformation.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
SAN FRANCISCO and OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), America’s largest provider of home battery storage, solar, and home-to-grid power plants, has completed a successful dispatching season of a first-of-its-kind distributed power plant partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). More than 1,000 Sunrun customers’ storage-plus-solar systems exported energy to alleviate local grid constraints, with the goal of helping PG&E avoid or defer distribution upgrades while generating net savings for all utility customers.
“Sunrun’s groundbreaking program with PG&E shows that distributed power plants can help communities avoid the high cost of adding more poles and wires to accommodate load growth,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell. “We saw time and time again that our customers’ batteries delivered location-specific load relief with high precision and consistent performance. Only Sunrun has this ability to quickly scale both large and bespoke distributed power plant programs with a variety of offtakers.”
Sunrun’s Local PeakShift Power distributed power plant is part of PG&E’s Seasonal Aggregation of Versatile Energy (SAVE) program. After testing from April to June 2025, the distributed power plant dispatched more than 50 times from July through October 2025, when local demand neared system capacity, totaling more than 1,200 dispatching hours. Sunrun customers with storage-plus-solar systems who live near or are connected to more than two dozen constrained power lines and substations in PG&E’s service area were enrolled in the program.
“Being able to provide energy to my local neighborhood just makes a lot of sense,” said Sunrun customer Tom Weldon, whose San Jose home sits near a constrained power line. “When heat waves arrive, we know that our batteries are going to help out when the grid is stressed. It’s something I feel really good about.”
A post-season program evaluation report by Demand Side Analytics found that Sunrun’s battery groupings closely followed PG&E’s dispatching instructions and kept electrical loads below the operating limits at all of the power lines and substations. Each location received different instructions based on machine learning, forecasted weather, and daily distribution system load forecasts. The batteries demonstrated a high degree of dispatch predictability and consistency—sending electricity to the correct location at the correct time during nearly 99% of events.
“Going into this project, we already knew that distributed energy resources could help meet systemwide peak electricity demand and put broad downward pressure on peak prices,” Powell added. “This program demonstrated that dispatching home batteries can also be a targeted tool to help avoid costly upgrades on the distribution network.”
“Working with partners like Sunrun is a win for our customers, our electric grid and California as a whole. This program shows how customers can help improve local grid reliability as we support the state’s growing need for energy,” said Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E Corporation.
Due to customer interest, PG&E expanded Sunrun’s initial participation in the program from 600 customers to more than 1,000 during the enrollment period. Sunrun customers enrolled in Local PeakShift Power received $150 per battery for sharing their stored solar energy with their communities, while Sunrun was compensated for coordinating the battery dispatches. Sunrun’s collaboration with PG&E supports the development of long-term programs to meet the California Energy Commission’s load-shifting goals while also enhancing local reliability.
With more than 217,000 residential battery systems across the country, Sunrun can support both non-wires alternative types of distribution and system-wide distributed power plant programs. Sunrun’s grid services platform and subscription model allow for flexibility when it comes to enrolling customers in different programs in order to achieve the highest value for the company, its customers, and the grid.
About Sunrun
Sunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN) is America’s largest provider of home battery storage, solar, and home-to-grid power plants. As the pioneer of home energy systems offered through a no-upfront-cost subscription model, Sunrun empowers customers nationwide with greater energy control, security, and independence. Sunrun supports the grid by providing on-demand dispatchable power that helps prevent blackouts and lower energy costs. Learn more at www.sunrun.com.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than sixteen million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news
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FAQ**
How does Sunrun Inc. (RUN)'s partnership with PG&E enhance the reliability of the grid in San Francisco and Oakland, especially during peak demand seasons?
What specific benefits do customers in San Francisco and Oakland receive from participating in Sunrun Inc. (RUN)'s Local PeakShift Power program?
How does Sunrun Inc. (RUN) plan to expand its residential battery systems in the San Francisco and Oakland regions to meet growing energy demands?
What are the long-term implications for PG&E and Sunrun Inc. (RUN) in terms of cost savings and grid enhancements for the communities they serve in San Francisco and Oakland?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (NYSE: PCG).
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