Google and Voltus Expand BYOC Partnership to One Gigawatt

Google and Voltus announced on October 22, 2026 an expanded agreement to build a one gigawatt virtual power plant (VPP) in the PJM grid region, unlocking new capacity and delivering savings for customers.

Tenfold Expansion of a Landmark Agreement

The announcement comes just months after the two companies signed an initial agreement in June 2026 to deliver 100 megawatts of flexible power capacity in PJM. The new deal adds 1,070 megawatts of capacity on top of the original commitment, a scale-up that the companies describe as one of the largest known distributed capacity portfolios deployed by a hyperscaler to date.

arrangement operates under Voltus's Bring Your Own Capacity (BYOC) model, through which Google funds capacity that is sourced not from new central-station generation but from the flexible energy assets of businesses and homes already connected to the grid. PJM, the grid region in which the virtual power plant will operate, serves 67 million customers across 13 states and the District of Columbia.

How the Virtual Power Plant Works

As with the first agreement, Voltus will aggregate new capacity from local businesses and homes into a Google-funded virtual power plant. When the grid is under strain, Voltus signals those participating sites, which can then deploy batteries, smart thermostats, industrial process adjustments and other flexible assets to reduce their energy use. Voltus then delivers financial benefits to participating customers, including bill savings and direct payments.

to the companies, this structure turns Google's capacity demand into real economic benefits for PJM customers. A recent report from The Brattle Group, cited in the announcement, predicts that U.S. consumers could save more than $100 billion over the next decade through better grid utilization.

Executive Perspectives on the Deal

Ellen Zuckerman, head of energy market development for North & South America at Google, framed the expansion as a demonstration of the company's broader approach to grid engagement. "Distributed energy resources are powerful tools for managing a modern, reliable grid while keeping energy affordable," Zuckerman said. "Expanding our initial commitment tenfold demonstrates our core effort to actively bring our own capacity to the grids that serve us.

Procuring this capacity through a gigawatt-scale virtual power plant ensures Google's operations in PJM support regional reliability and deliver direct economic benefits to local communities." Dana Guernsey, CEO of Voltus, emphasized the consumer-facing dimension of the partnership. "This significant expansion of our work with Google translates data center growth into direct economic benefits for businesses and homes," Guernsey said. "Through this partnership we are proud to bring much needed clean capacity online, at gigawatt scale."

The BYOC Model Behind the Deal

Voltus operates a distributed energy resource (DER) technology platform and acts as a virtual power plant operator, connecting distributed energy resources to electricity markets with the stated aim of delivering less expensive, more reliable, and more sustainable electricity.

Through its Bring Your Own Capacity program, Voltus brings new flexible capacity to the grid. Its commercial and industrial customers and DER partners generate value by allowing Voltus to maximize the value of their flexible load, distributed generation, energy storage, energy efficiency, and electric vehicle resources in these markets.

The June 2026 agreement between the two companies, which today's announcement expands, was described at the time as a first-of-its-kind deal, aggregating up to 100 megawatts of accredited distributed capacity in PJM and channeling grid investment to homes and businesses.

Context: Voltus's Recent Momentum

The expanded Google agreement lands during a period of notable activity for Voltus. Earlier in October 2026, the company announced it had raised $225 million, stating that it expects to scale to 20 gigawatts by 2030 as it advances its Bring Your Own Capacity offering and grows its base of connected batteries. In late September 2026, Voltus and Siemens announced a partnership aimed at helping commercial building operators generate virtual power plant revenue, integrating Voltus's energy monetization capabilities with Siemens's building-side intelligent controls and services.

In mid-August 2026, Voltus announced that Sunrun would supply it with energy capacity from solar-plus-storage systems for AI hyperscaler agreements, delivering immediate Bring Your Own Capacity megawatts in the PJM and MISO regions. The company has also made acquisitions and leadership moves this year.

On June 10, 2026, Voltus acquired Brightfield AI, integrating a battery development platform and a team of distributed storage veterans. Earlier in June, the company expanded its senior leadership team, hiring Arielle Bertman as Vice President of Product and Jess Gunter as Vice President of Marketing.

What the Gigawatt Deal Signals

The announcement positions the Google-Voltus partnership as a template for how large data center operators can meet capacity needs without building dedicated generation. By procuring capacity through a gigawatt-scale virtual power plant, Google's operations in PJM are, per the company's own statements, intended to support regional reliability while delivering direct economic benefits to local communities.

For Voltus, the deal represents a scaling milestone for its BYOC model, taking the relationship from a 100-megawatt pilot to a portfolio exceeding one gigawatt in less than five months. The companies say the expanded capacity will translate data center growth into bill savings and direct payments for the businesses and homes that participate in the virtual power plant across the PJM footprint.