A growing virtual power plant will help support grid reliability in Texas
IRVING, Texas, March 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Vistra (NYSE: VST) today announced an expansion of its battery aggregation program to include Enphase Energy's IQ® Batteries, further scaling its residential virtual power plant (VPP) to strengthen grid reliability across Texas. The program, Battery Rewards, is offered through Vistra's flagship retail electricity brand, TXU Energy, and allows eligible Enphase customers to earn incentives by exporting stored battery power to the grid during periods of high demand.
Through Battery Rewards, Vistra aggregates energy from participating, customer-owned residential batteries and dispatches it to the Texas grid when it is needed most. By harnessing flexible distributed energy resources, the program helps manage peak demand and maximize 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 Battery Rewards and own an Enphase IQ Battery will receive financial incentives for participating while maintaining control of their systems during local power outages. Participants can also continue to benefit from TXU Energy solar buyback plans, which provide bill credits for excess solar energy exported 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 relies on a sophisticated operating system to coordinate energy assets in real time. Kraken's AI-powered platform automatically responds during periods of high demand by shifting participating homes to draw power from their batteries instead of the grid. This temporarily reduces each home's grid demand and, when available, allows excess stored energy to be exported to the grid - helping customers participate effortlessly in 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."
This VPP expansion builds on Vistra's long history of introducing innovative energy solutions, including first-to-Texas connected thermostat offerings and the nation's first free electric vehicle charging program supported by vehicle telematics.
With Battery Rewards, Vistra continues to give customers more choice and control over their energy use while playing an active role in supporting grid reliability. For more information about the Battery Rewards program, please visit txu.com.
About Vistra
Vistra (NYSE: VST) is a leading Fortune 500 integrated retail electricity and power generation company based in Irving, Texas, that provides essential resources to customers, businesses, and communities from California to Maine. Vistra is a leader in transforming the energy landscape, with an unyielding focus on reliability, affordability, and sustainability. The company safely operates a reliable, efficient power generation fleet of natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery energy storage facilities while taking an innovative, customer-centric approach to its retail business. Learn more at vistracorp.com.
SOURCE Vistra Corp
