US solar power company Sunrun has announced it will expand its support for the energy grid in Texas in partnership with Tesla Electric, a subsidiary of Tesla.

So far, more than 150 Sunrun customers have already enrolled in the customer-driven power plant, which dispatches stored solar energy from at-home batteries to raise available electricity reserves on the grid during periods of high consumption. Sunrun is now looking to scale up involvements in the programme.

Tesla Electric will work with Sunrun to enable residents to receive compensation for sharing energy through their Tesla Powerwall batteries, which Sunrun claims will help lower the cost of energy at the wholesale level.

Sunrun said in a press release that it selected Tesla Electric for this partnership due to its attractive rate structures and ability to participate in the power plant programme.

Sunrun noted that the project expansion comes a few weeks after Hurricane Beryl caused widespread power outages that impacted nearly three million homes and businesses, and three years after Texas’ power grid meltdown during the winter of 2021. Since the events, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s grid operator, has looked at ways to diversify the power grid to ensure consistent provision of energy.

“Texas grid has already experienced a traumatic spring and summer due to weather vulnerabilities and we know the state also needs more power to meet soaring demand on a daily basis. We are eager to bring Sunrun’s on-demand battery response expertise to help make the grid more resilient against outages," said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell.

“Texas families are increasingly opting to add batteries to their solar installations. On-site energy storage not only provides homeowners peace of mind with outage protection but also enables them to participate in programmes like these by contributing to solutions that better the lives of those in their communities.”