VPP Acceleration Initiative

The VPP Acceleration Initiative is a three-year national effort to help public and community stakeholders design, finance, implement, and scale Virtual Power Plants. It coordinates public actors and communities. 

Our goal: Enable gigawatt-scale VPP deployment nationwide by 2028 by actively supporting the public sector and using replicable models that work across diverse markets and regulatory contexts. 

We support: 

• States - State energy offices, public utility commissions, state green banks, state renewable energy funds, independent state agencies created to promote energy and economic development, and legislatures 

• Local governments - cities, counties, and municipal utilities 

• Community-based organizations 

• Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) 

The Initiative delivers coordinated national support with local impact through four integrated strategies: 

Technical Assistance 

Hands-on support to states and local governments for VPP program design and deployment, including consumer protection, equity-centered implementation, incentive rates and mechanisms, grid services studies, and other regulatory and research support. 

Convenings & Peer Learning 

State and local government working groups, peer-learning cohorts, national summits, and deal rooms connecting projects with capital. 

Replicable Models & Toolkits 

Model programs, policies, tariffs, procurement frameworks, equity guidelines, and financing resources for states, cities, and lenders. 

Community Engagement & Financing 

Support for community-driven VPP deployment, solar+storage projects, and connections between communities, states, and CDFIs to enable equitable participation. 

Learn more about how to engage with CESA and its partners below. 

States, local governments, and communities are supported to enable gigawatt-scale aggregations of dispatchable distributed energy resources, lower electricity costs and deferred grid upgrades, improve reliability during peak demand and extreme weather, and foster equitable access to VPP benefits. Coordination of public state actors will provide greater market certainty through standardized, scalable VPP frameworks.