Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- 🏡 Tesla’s Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program in San Diego is rapidly expanding, nearing 250 homes in the city.
- 💰 Participants in the VPP program with Tesla Powerwall and solar panels get paid for supplying backup power during peak electricity use.
- 📈 LastBulb estimates around 7,727 VPP participants in California, with significant numbers signed up through Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E).
- 🚀 San Diego recently launched Tesla’s VPP program, with 244 participants joining since the announcement.
- 🔌 Scheduled grid events have been taking place, and the program is expected to continue growing throughout the year.
- 🌎 Tesla is also piloting VPP programs in Texas and South Australia, with plans for more in the future.
Participants in Tesla’s Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program in California have gradually been on the rise, and a new update from one resident of San Diego shows that the company is already nearing 250 homes in the city.
Tesla has reached 244 homes in San Diego through its VPP program, as shown in a screenshot of the Tesla app posted by one person who was recently accepted into the program (via Sawyer Merritt). The screenshot shared by X user Kromek6 shows 244 fleet homes in the area, and the user went on to thank Tesla and San Diego Gas and Electric for accepting his application.
Those in California with a Tesla Powerwall and solar panels can apply to be a part of the VPP through the Tesla app. As participants, users get paid to supply backup power to the electrical grid during times of peak electricity use, and Tesla and the associated utility companies are currently doing so through scheduled grid events.
According to the estimated tracker LastBulb, the entirety of California reached around 7,727 VPP participants as of late July, mostly made up of residents of the northern part of the state through Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E).
At the time, there were 5,681 in Tesla’s VPP program signed up through PG&E, while the other 2,046 were signed up through SoCal Edison. San Diego only announced plans to launch Tesla’s VPP program in August, so the 244 participants have joined since then.
The tracker also shows months when scheduled grid events have taken place, and while it shows events took place last August and September, the only month this year to display scheduled events was July.
As of January, the VPP had already reached around 5,700 homes in California, and with San Diego residents jumping on board so quickly, the current number of participants is likely to jump significantly by the end of this year. In addition to California, a VPP program is also being piloted in Texas through the company’s recently registered utility project, Tesla Electric.
Tesla has also launched a VPP pilot program in South Australia, and the company is also planning to launch a few more in the coming years.
