Vistra has announced an expansion of its battery aggregation program to include Enphase Energy’s IQ Batteries, further growing its residential virtual power plant (VPP) to enhance grid reliability across Texas. The Battery Rewards program offered through Vistra’s flagship retail electricity brand TXU Energy enables eligible Enphase customers to earn incentives by exporting stored battery power to the grid during periods of high electricity demand.
Through the Battery Rewards initiative, Vistra aggregates energy from participating customer-owned home batteries and dispatches it to the Texas grid when it is needed most. By leveraging flexible distributed energy resources, the program helps reduce peak demand and optimize the use of existing grid infrastructure.
“As Texas continues to expect rapid load growth, demand-side solutions are becoming increasingly important,” said Sam Sen, Vistra’s vice president of energy transition solutions. “By bringing additional flexible resources like batteries online during critical periods, we can strengthen grid reliability and serve more load using the infrastructure already in place.”
TXU Energy customers who enroll in the Battery Rewards program and own an Enphase IQ Battery can earn financial incentives for participating, while still retaining full control of their systems during local power outages. In addition, participants can continue to take advantage of TXU Energy’s solar buyback plans, which offer bill credits for surplus solar energy exported back to the grid.
“The pace of energy demand growth in Texas is unlike anything we’ve seen before, especially as more people move to the state, and industries from manufacturing to technology are all growing,” said Marco Krapels, chief marketing officer and head of global energy markets at Enphase Energy. “Through our partnership with Vistra, flexible, distributed energy resources like Enphase home battery systems can help supply this demand when and where it’s needed most, while homeowners are compensated and retain backup power and control when it matters most.”
The virtual power plant operates through an advanced system that coordinates distributed energy assets in real time. Kraken’s AI-powered platform automatically responds during periods of high demand by enabling participating homes to draw power from their batteries instead of the grid. This approach temporarily lowers household grid consumption and, when surplus energy is available, allows stored power to be exported back to the grid, helping customers easily support a more flexible, affordable, and reliable energy system.
“Vistra is putting customers at the heart of the energy transformation,” said Devrim Celal, chief flexibility officer at Kraken. “By connecting batteries into one smart system, we are helping the company support the grid while creating value for consumers. This creates better experiences and helps to build lasting customer relationships.”
The expansion of the virtual power plant (VPP) builds on Vistra’s long track record of delivering innovative energy solutions. These initiatives include Texas’ first connected thermostat programs and the nation’s first free electric vehicle charging program supported by vehicle telematics.
Through the Battery Rewards program, Vistra continues to give customers greater choice and control over how they use energy, while also helping strengthen grid reliability.
