PG&E Launches SHARE Virtual Power Plant in California

California utility Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has launched SHARE, a virtual power plant designed to help communities benefit from rising electric demand. The program, developed with Rewiring America and Google among others, aims to improve affordability and reliability for all customers.

The SHARE VPP is a coordinated network of home batteries, smart devices, and battery-enabled heat pumps that reduce energy use during periods of high demand. PG&E will work with Tesla, Sunrun, and Renew Home to enroll nearly 21,000 existing flexible energy devices into the program.

Eligible customers in Santa Clara and Alameda counties will receive new Carrier high-efficiency, battery-enabled heat pumps and lower monthly energy bills through smarter energy management. The resources will be orchestrated into a distributed power plant by PG&E and Demand Side Analytics to unlock additional capacity on the regional electric transmission system.

SHARE is expected to begin supporting the grid as early as fall 2026 and run through 2027, with initial findings from the program expected to be shared in late 2026 or early 2027. The program will be fully funded by Google to support customer incentives, technology deployment, and program delivery.