Austin homeowners now have a way to turn their home batteries into a paying side gig. Austin Energy is expanding its Power Partner program with a new home-battery pilot that pays residents to let the utility briefly tap stored energy during periods of peak demand. The pilot includes an upfront rebate for new systems and ongoing performance payments and will initially be capped at roughly 1,500 approved batteries. The utility says the program is designed to shave summer price spikes, strengthen reliability and pull residential batteries, smart thermostats and EV chargers into a single virtual power plant.
According to EnergyHub, Austin Energy announced the Power Partner Battery pilot in March, offering a $500 upfront rebate for recent installations and a performance payment of $75 per kilowatt-year. The utility says that the structure will add up to more than $300 annually for a typical battery owner. In that announcement, batteries are framed as one more building block in the Power Partner virtual power plant alongside thermostats and EV chargers.
As outlined by Greater Grid, Power Partner events are limited to 40 per year, typically last two to three hours, and can be overridden by participants through their battery manufacturer’s app. The enrollment site runs a sample calculation showing a Tesla Powerwall would net roughly $324 per year under the $75 per kilowatt formula. Community Impact reports the pilot has already signed up more than 100 customers and about 165 batteries since March, and that Austin Energy hopes to grow to roughly 1,500 systems in the first year.
Who’s supplying the batteries
Public Power noted that Austin Energy has an agreement with local startup Base Power to deploy up to 40 megawatts of distributed residential batteries that Austin Energy can dispatch during price or reliability events. Public Power reports that Base Power will handle installation and maintenance while the utility manages dispatch. Austin Energy’s program materials also list Tesla, FranklinWH, SolarEdge and Enphase as initially eligible vendors for the Power Partner pilot, according to Austin Energy.
Where this fits in Austin's plan
The launch is part of a broader Resource, Generation and Climate Protection roadmap that sets distributed demand-response targets as the utility tries to balance reliability and decarbonization. Austin Energy frames residential batteries, thermostats, and EV chargers as tools to help reach those targets. The move comes as City Council approvals for new wind, battery and gas peaker capacity have sharpened debate over how best to ensure reliability without blowing past climate goals, as reported by the Austin Chronicle.
How to sign up and what to expect
Customers enroll through their battery vendor or the program microsite and must have an installed, permitted system that meets the program’s eligibility requirements. The written terms spell out the $500 up-front rebate for recent installations and an annual performance payment of $75 per kilowatt based on average event contribution. Payments are calculated after the season and mailed as a check, and customers may opt out of events without penalty. For full eligibility criteria, opt-out details, and timing, see the program terms and the enrollment portal provided by Austin Energy and Greater Grid.
“We’re turning home energy technology into a community asset,” Austin Energy demand-response manager Lindsey McDougall said in the program announcement, describing the pilot as a way for homeowners to earn money while helping the city cut costly peaks. EnergyHub notes that the pilot is intended to scale Austin’s multi-device virtual power plant and deliver flexible capacity during the hottest, most expensive hours.
