Central Texas Utility Teams Up with Tesla for Texas Grid Stability Pilot
The first-of-its-kind pilot program aims to boost Texas grid reliability using home batteries.
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Gonzales, TX — Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC) became the first Texas utility to partner with Tesla in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Aggregated Distributed Energy Resource (ADER) pilot program on March 3, 2025. The program uses home battery systems like Tesla Powerwalls to support the grid during high demand.
The Details:
What’s ADER? Launched in 2022, this pilot lets small energy sources—like home batteries—combine to act as a virtual power plant, feeding stored energy into ERCOT’s grid.
Why It Exists: After 2021’s deadly Texas grid failure, ERCOT created ADER to improve reliability by tapping distributed resources, targeting 80 MW of flexible power.
Peak-Time Payback: GVEC’s PTP program offers upfront rebates and annual bonuses for members who let Tesla use up to 70% of their battery to ease grid strain during peak times.
Regional Impact: GVEC serves 130,000+ customers across South-Central Texas, from Cuero to Schertz.
Progress: ADER has registered 17 MW so far, with Tesla leading the charge.
Why It Matters: This partnership strengthens Texas’s grid, cuts costs, and promotes clean energy against outage risk.
Bottom Line: GVEC and Tesla are pioneering a smarter, more reliable energy future for Texas.