El Paso Electric and Base Power Launch Residential Battery Pilot to Boost Grid Reliability
Event summary
- El Paso Electric (EPE) and Base Power launched a pilot program deploying residential battery systems to strengthen grid reliability during peak demand.
- Base Power will install networked batteries in EPE’s Texas service region, providing up to 10 MW of dispatchable capacity ahead of the 2026 summer peak.
- EPE will manage the battery fleet for grid services while Base Power handles installation and maintenance.
- The program aims to defer costly infrastructure investments by leveraging customer-sited storage.
The big picture
This partnership reflects a growing trend among utilities to integrate distributed energy resources (DERs) as flexible grid assets. By leveraging residential batteries, EPE can address localized capacity constraints more quickly and cost-effectively than traditional infrastructure upgrades. The model could set a precedent for other investor-owned utilities facing similar challenges in load growth and system resilience.
What we're watching
- Scalability Potential
- Whether Base Power can replicate this model with other utilities to accelerate distributed energy storage adoption.
- Regulatory Alignment
- How regulatory frameworks will adapt to support utility-controlled, customer-sited storage solutions.
- Customer Participation
- The pace at which residential customers enroll in such programs, determining the program’s long-term viability.
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