SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Voltus, Inc. ("Voltus"), the leading virtual power plant (VPP) operator and distributed energy resource (DER) platform, today announced that Carbon Response, its first-of-its-kind program that pays customers for reducing electricity consumption during times when the grid is generating at high carbon intensity, has generated 8,920 metric tons of CO2 reductions since launching as a pilot in 2023. Carbon Response creates a new marketplace where voluntary corporate buyers fund these targeted load reductions, generating revenue for participating customers while supporting their emissions reduction goals.
"Carbon Response adds another load reduction program and revenue stream to our portfolio without adding operational complexity," said Anson Bettinger, Water Distribution Manager at Onondaga County Water Authority, Central New York's Water Authority. "We're already participating in capacity markets and utility programs through Voltus's platform—now we have the opportunity to additionally participate in Carbon Response and get paid for carbon reductions, too. The platform handles the optimization automatically based on real-time emissions data, so our team doesn't need to manage multiple dispatch protocols or track different program requirements. It's one integration, multiple revenue streams."
Carbon Response extends Voltus's proven VPP model into a new market opportunity by creating a three-sided marketplace. Voltus partners with voluntary corporate buyers to design Carbon Response programs based on their specific sustainability goals and then enrolls customers who can provide flexible load. By integrating with WattTime's real-time and forecasted marginal emissions data, Voltus's platform identifies optimal dispatch windows and activates DERs when carbon intensity at each customer’s location is highest and when the customer would otherwise be contributing to those emissions. Voluntary corporate buyers fund the customer payments for these carbon-reducing dispatches, creating a direct economic link between their decarbonization goals and distributed grid flexibility.
"Just as our Bring Your Own Capacity (BYOC) program unlocked a new way for large loads, including data centers, to accelerate time-to-power, Carbon Response opens up a new way for voluntary corporate buyers to accelerate their decarbonization goals," said Luke Metcalf, Director of Energy Markets at Voltus. "We've created a novel market mechanism that pays customers to leverage their load flexibility in response to the dirtiest hours on the grid."
"Carbon Response demonstrates how market innovation can accelerate decarbonization," said Chiel Borenstein, Director of External Engagement at WattTime. "By compensating organizations with flexible loads to reduce energy use during times of high-intensity carbon emissions on the grid, Voltus is aligning economic incentives with climate outcomes. Voltus's platform makes this possible at scale by connecting corporate funding with DERs across their network."
Carbon Response is available across most of the United States. Voluntary corporate buyers interested in funding carbon-targeted load reductions or customers interested in participating can learn more at voltus.co/carbon-emissions or email info@voltus.co.
About Voltus
Voltus is the leading DER technology platform and virtual power plant operator connecting distributed energy resources to electricity markets, delivering less expensive, more reliable, and more sustainable electricity. Voltus’s commercial and industrial customers and DER partners generate cash by allowing Voltus to maximize the value of their flexible load, distributed generation, energy storage, energy efficiency, and electric vehicle resources in these markets. To learn more, visit www.voltus.co.
Voltus Contact
Mona Khaldi
press@voltus.co
