Austin Energy and Entergy Texas have selected FranklinWH and its residential home storage system as their choice for new virtual power plant (VPP) demand response programs.

Joining the Austin Energy Power Partner Battery Pilot and the Entergy Texas Battery Storage Solutions Program, FranklinWH is adding to its VPP ranks. The programs aim to promote grid reliability across the Lone Star State, allowing homeowners to gain upfront incentives and save on their electricity bills by helping the wider cause during peak hours.

“Each new utility partnership reflects the growing confidence utilities have in residential batteries as reliable grid resources, ” says Gary Lam, CEO and co-founder of FranklinWH. “With participation in 25 VPP’s nationwide, we’re continuing to help utilities scale distributed energy while giving homeowners more ways to earn value from their FranklinWH Systems.”

In recent years, Texas has become one of the shining stars of the residential storage market in the U.S. The state currently ranks second in the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) Solar State by State rankings, and about 60% of the state’s new residential solar installations now come with paired battery storage.

Homegrown grid assets

Under the terms of Austin Energy’s Power Partner Battery program, homeowners with storage benefits will receive a $500 incentive upfront, and an average annual payment of about $300. Participants will earn $75 for every kW of output, but the pilot is limited to 1,500 participants to support the company’s goal of reaching 78 MW of demand capacity by 2027, and 270 MW by 2035.

“Batteries are a key component of the Resource & Generation Plan focused on furthering our culture of innovation,” says Richard Génecé, Austin Energy’s VP of customer energy solutions. “This Battery Demand Response Pilot advances Austin Energy’s progress toward a more established virtual power plant, as battery systems offer predictable capacity and unlock future opportunities for an enhanced grid.”

Entergy Texas’s Battery Storage Solutions program will net customers up to $325 per year for participating, representatives say. The utility will send a signal to the battery system of each home, allowing customers to participate without being at home and intervening personally. The program is also available with Tesla batteries, according to Entergy’s website.

“Smart battery programs such as this help our customers use energy more efficiently while strengthening the grid for everyone,” says Kelly O’Donnell, manager of products and services for Entergy Texas. “By partnering with FranklinWH, we’re giving homeowners a simple way to support reliability during high‑demand periods and earn meaningful savings at the same time.”

Customers enrolled in either program will be able to manage their system through the FranklinWH app, officials say. While battery discharge to the grid occurs automatically, users will be able to monitor system performance in real time, and may opt out at any time.

Tags: batteries, BESS, ESS, FranklinWH, home storage, Residential Solar, Texas, VPP