State and Utility Programs · Checked October 13, 2026

Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Enrollment Windows and Caps

Budget, megawatt and customer caps, enrollment deadlines and seasons for battery and VPP programs, with a timeline to 2029 and what missing a window costs.

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Short answer

  • Most battery programs have a cap of some kind: a budget, a megawatt limit, a customer count, an enrollment deadline or a season.
  • The next 90 days matter most: California’s Demand Side Grid Support (DSGS) season ends October 31 with no 2027 funding, and Duke’s PowerPair ends in December with under 3% of capacity left.
  • The pipeline is large: ComEd (spring 2027), Maryland (summer 2027), New Jersey’s proposed block, and grid operators opening wholesale markets from November 2026 to 2029.
  • A missed window hurts most for upfront programs: up to $8,000–$15,000 one-time, against about $500–$1,500 for one missed season of ongoing VPP pay.

Why programs cap enrollment

A virtual power plant program buys a set amount of grid flexibility, sized to a utility need and a budget approved by regulators. Once enough batteries have signed up to meet that need, the program caps or closes, even when more batteries are available. Caps also let administrators check measured performance before scaling up. A battery that misses the window does not lose its technical value to the grid, but it can lose the payment.

Six kinds of caps

Budget caps

A fixed pot of money. When it runs out, new batteries wait or get nothing. Examples: California DSGS Option 3 ($19.5 million allocated, up to $42.7 million) and the SGIP equity budget (CALSSA; SCE).

Megawatt caps

A limit on total enrolled capacity. ERCOT’s pilot has used 293 of 500 MW, New Jersey proposes about 150 MW, and Vermont’s tariff sets annual MW limits (ERCOT Phase 4 presentation; NJ BPU; GMP tariff).

Device or customer caps

A limit on participants. Arizona Public Service and Salt River Project pilots each allow up to 5,000 homes (APS; CESA VPP table).

Enrollment windows and end dates

A deadline for contracts or applications. PowerPair contracts must be in by the end of 2026, and SGIP equity applications close June 30, 2028 (PowerPair; SCE).

Seasonal enrollment

Pay is set per season, so a battery that joins after the season starts may earn less or nothing that year. Con Edison runs May 1–September 30 and Mass Save June–September (Con Edison; Mass Save).

Eligibility gates

Rules that act like caps: solar-charging requirements (Xcel, Rocky Mountain Power), size limits (Con Edison 50 kW, NYSERDA 25 kWh) and approved-equipment lists (Xcel Energy; Rocky Mountain Power; Con Edison program guide).

Key dates for battery and VPP programs, October 2026 to 2029

Diamonds are single dates; bars are open periods. Dashed line marks October 13, 2026.

Swipe to see the full chart →

202720282029Oct 13, 2026CA DSGS 2026 season endsISO-NE opens to aggregationsDuke PowerPair endsERCOT ADER Phase 4 (proposed)NYISO Order 2222 targetComEd Rider SDVPP opensMaryland DRIVE pilotsNJ Block 1 (if approved)PJM energy and reserves openSGIP equity applicationsDominion VPP pilotIllinois VPP framework deadlineIllinois $300/kWh rebateAPS Storage Rewards pilotOpenCappedClosingComingProposed
Sources: Canary Media, ISO New England, PowerPair, ERCOT Phase 4 presentation, PNNL, Citizens Utility Board, VGIC, NJ BPU, PJM, SCE, Dominion Energy, APS. Spring and summer dates are approximate. Bars ending at the right edge continue past 2029.

What a missed window costs

For upfront programs, missing the window loses the whole incentive. For ongoing VPPs, missing a season loses that season’s payment, but the battery can usually join the next one. The chart shows gross program value at stake for a 13.5 kWh battery averaging 5 kW during events.

Gross value at stake from one missed window or season

13.5 kWh battery averaging 5 kW in events; standard tiers

Swipe to see the full chart →

$0k$5k$10k$15kSGIP equity, 13.5 kWh (if funded)$14,850 one-timeGMP BYOD, 10 kW / 4 h$9,500 one-timeDuke PowerPair, 13.5 kWh + 8 kW solar$8,280 one-timeIllinois CRGA rebate, 13.5 kWh$4,050 one-timeNYSERDA, 13.5 kWh (Con Edison)$3,375 one-timeCT ESS, 5 kW, one season$1,500 per seasonBGE DRIVE, 5 kW, one year$1,500 per yearConnectedSolutions, 5 kW, one summer$1,375 per summerNJ Block 1, 5 kW, one year$1,000 per yearAPS Storage Rewards, 5 kW, one season$550 per seasonCon Edison BYOB, 5 kW, one season$500 per season
Sources: program pages linked in the Program Status Tracker. Upfront values are one-time; VPP values are for one season or year. Gross program payments, not net profit.

Checklist before enrolling or launching

Battery buyers and participants
  • Confirm the program is open on the administrator’s own page on the day you sign.
  • Ask whether the incentive is reserved at application or paid only if funds remain at install.
  • Check the commitment term and any repayment for leaving early (GMP: 10 years, prorated).
  • Note the season start; enroll before it to count for that year.
  • Confirm whether time-of-use cycling is allowed alongside the program.
Installers and aggregators
  • Track remaining capacity by utility territory, not just statewide.
  • Submit reservations before quoting a stacked price.
  • Check that inverter and gateway models are on the approved list.
  • Budget for telemetry and data requirements if aggregations will enter wholesale markets (minimum 100 kW in ISO New England and PJM).
  • Watch for dual-pay restrictions when one battery is in two programs.
Utilities and program managers
  • Publish remaining budget or MW in a dashboard, as NYSERDA and SGIP do.
  • Give at least one season’s notice before a closure or rate change.
  • Separate the enrollment deadline from the performance season.
  • State clearly how the program interacts with wholesale aggregation and other retail programs.
  • Define how grid flexibility is measured: nameplate, average event kW or kWh delivered.

Method and sources

Dates come from program pages, tariffs and regulatory orders checked October 13, 2026. Where a source gives a season rather than a date (spring 2027, summer 2027), the timeline uses an approximate date.

Cap figures are as published and change as programs fill. Dollar values are gross program payments, not net profit.

Related

Tracker

Program Status Tracker

Which programs are open, capped, closing or coming.

Open →By state

State-by-State Coverage

Programs and a kW example for 20 states.

Open →Stacking

How Programs Stack

Combine rebates, VPP pay and tax credits.

Open →

Program figures are published terms checked October 13, 2026. They are gross program payments, not net profit, and are not earnings guarantees. Terms change; confirm with the program administrator before buying, installing or enrolling. ← All State and Utility Programs