October 15, 2025 - Recognizing that despite significant industry interest and a growing energy affordability crisis, virtual power plants (VPPs) remain critically underutilized, the Energy Policy Design Institute (EPDI or “ep-dee”) has launched the VPP Convergence Project along with an Advisory Group composed of VPP policy experts and industry leaders. EPDI is a non-profit organization that is accelerating the energy transition with tools for better, faster policymaking.
Utilities and their regulators across the U.S. are struggling to meet new energy demands amid construction challenges and affordability concerns. Most notably, large load customers like datacenters are requesting tens of gigawatts of new energy supply, forcing everyone to figure out how to serve that demand without spiking customers’ energy bills. Virtual Power Plants are being touted as a great solution to this and other affordability issues, by being the fastest, most cost-effective source of new energy supply and capacity.
“The buzz around VPPs is getting louder, but in the policy arena, it can sound like a tangle of competing messages,” said Ted Ko, co-founder and Executive Director of EPDI. “VPPs have much to offer, but they can be over-hyped in ways that confuse regulators, resulting in skeptical staff and delays to the policy changes required to make VPPs work. ”
“That’s the need this VPP Convergence Project will fill: clearly articulating the VPP value proposition and creating a policy structure and tools so regulators feel confident pursuing VPPs at scale. Our goal isn’t to push specific policies—it’s to help public utility commissions cut through the noise and efficiently make informed, evidence-based decisions.”
“Energy technology companies are great innovators and competitors, but they need to come together to score big policy wins,” said Jigar Shah, the project’s honorary chair and former director of the Dept. of Energy’s Loan Programs Office. “The VPP Convergence Project offers a great opportunity to build credibility and clear, consistent communication with regulators, so utilities and consumers can fully benefit from VPPs.”
Honorary Chair
- Jigar Shah, Senior Advisor
Steering Committee
- Natalie Mims Frick
- Lakin Garth, SEPA
- Jeff Loiter, NARUC
- Angela Long, Rockress Consulting
- Lauren Shwisberg, RMI/VP3
- Alison Bates Wannop
Industry Advisors, DER Companies and Associations
- Gabrielle Olmedo, EnergyHub
- Jordan Graham, Tesla
- Chip Silverman, Sunrun
- Trevor Mcmanamon, Leap
- Emily Orvis, Voltus
- Sparkfund
- Kelly Crandall, UtilityAPI
- Michael Murray, Mission:data Coalition
- Shannon Anderson, Solar United Neighbors
- Thomas Lee, Derapi
- Max Indelicato, Lightsmith Energy
"As we continue to work to reduce costs for ratepayers, VPPs, which have proven successful at delivering benefits to ratepayers throughout the country, are a key tool that we can employ to help us do just that. We’re excited to participate in and look forward to the guidance and tools that emerge from the VPP Convergence Project to help make VPPs a reality in New Jersey.” - Kira Lawrence, Senior Policy Advisor, NJBPU
The VPP Convergence Project aims to synthesize knowledge and best practices; create actionable tools for policy staff; and mobilize stakeholders around a shared vision and policy priorities. To learn more about our work and get involved, visit https://www.epdiusa.org/projects/vpp-convergence-project, or email [email protected].
The Energy Policy Design Institute (EPDI) accelerates the energy transition with tools for better, faster policymaking. EPDI’s collaborative, consensus-building approach avoids traditional pitfalls by organizing stakeholders and policy staff to define and work together toward shared goals. This method, rooted in design thinking and deep technical policy knowledge, provides an actionable foundation for successful state-level policy initiatives. Founded in 2023, EPDI is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Denver, Colorado. For more information, visit us at epdiusa.org.