Ready for some “virtual” reality?  

As you’ve seen here before, electric utilities use a lot of strange phrases. One that’s popped up in the news a lot lately is “virtual power plant.” It sounds futuristic and not without reason. In fact, it’s part of the future plans for many utilities as they make the transition to carbon-free energy, including the Integrated Resource Plan of our own Platte River Power Authority.  

So what the heck is it?  

Unlike a traditional power plant using coal or gas, a virtual power plant doesn’t have one central site that generates electricity and sends it out to everyone. Instead, it’s made up of a lot of smaller pieces – distributed energy resources (DERs) like rooftop solar panels with batteries, smart water heaters and so on. 

That collection of smaller resources becomes important as carbon-free power sources – think utility-scale solar and wind – become more common on our electric system. When LPC customers need more or less electricity, we can’t just dial the sun and wind up or down, after all. So a collection of smaller resources can become a virtual power plant that offers flexibility by providing options to store power when it’s not needed or to reduce use or draw power from (with customer permission) when it is.  

It requires good infrastructure and good coordination. (After all, these DERs still need to serve homes, vehicles and all other day-to-day needs of our customers!) But taken together, it’s a great way to make sure your power stays resilient and reliable.  

So when you buy a smart thermostat at the Efficiency Works Store or look into solar panels and storage or an electric vehicle charger for your home, you’re making a powerful choice in more ways than one. You’re helping support Longmont’s energy future.  

You might even say the possibilities are virtually limitless.