Illinois regulators approve ComEd VPP (virtual power plant) pilot program under new clean energy law; targets demand response during heatwaves.

Illinois regulators have approved ComEd's Stored Distributed Virtual Power Plant (SDVPP), which will discharge power from enrolled small batteries during periods of high demand, such as the early-July heatwave that pushed PJM Interconnection demand to near-record levels.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act in January, shortly after a U.S. Congressional report found Illinois retail electricity prices rose more than 15% in 2025. Illinois's grid operates across PJM Interconnection and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, both of which have seen sharp increases in capacity prices.

The CRGA directs Illinois electric utilities to deploy 3 gigawatts of energy storage by 2030 and develop VPPs that leverage distributed assets including residential and small commercial batteries, electric vehicle chargers, and HVAC controls. The law also mandates expanded energy efficiency programs and requires utilities to offer residential time-of-use pricing plans.

"This is exactly what Illinois lawmakers intended when they passed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act last fall: a way to quickly put distributed energy resources to work for the whole grid," said Will Kenworthy, Midwest regulatory director for Vote Solar. He praised ComEd for moving quickly to establish the program, calling it "a model for how the clean energy transition can save people money."

The SDVPP will help shave peak loads that strain the grid in the densely populated Chicago area. On July 2, PJM's instantaneous load hit 162.7 gigawatts, less than 3 gigawatts shy of its all-time demand peak in 2006. The grid operator, whose territory stretches from northern Illinois to New Jersey, said it would likely have broken the 2006 record without robust demand response participation.

ComEd has connected approximately 1.8 gigawatts of distributed energy resources to its grid. SDVPP participants must commit to five consecutive seasons, each running from June 1 to September 30, and receive seasonal performance payments based on energy they inject into ComEd's distribution grid during peak events.