Shelton, Conn. — Budderfly, a preferred sustainability partner for commercial businesses, has significantly expanded its Virtual Power Plant (VPP) platform, activating real-time demand response across four of the country’s largest energy markets: California Independent System Operator (CAISO), Independent System Operator (ISO) New England, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) Interconnection, and Southwest Power Pool (SPP) service territories.
The milestone signifies a decisive move into active grid participation for Budderfly, which now orchestrates behind-the-meter commercial sites through real-time energy market programs. Initial deployments leverage thermostatic control of HVAC systems and will expand to include refrigeration, battery storage, lighting and solar, enabling site-level intelligence and broader system responsiveness.
“Our VPP capabilities help hundreds of commercial sites become intelligent, responsive and critical parts of the grid,” says Al Subbloie, CEO at Budderfly. “We’re proving that real grid flexibility doesn’t just come from factories and big box stores, it can come from restaurants, fitness centers and local businesses, too. Virtual power plants only work when participation is simple, seamless and makes business sense. That’s the standard we’re building toward.”
Budderfly activated its VPP sites on June 1, 2025, in collaboration with utility and platform partners, including Evergy and Leap, enabling fully automated demand response and grid dispatch across a multi-state footprint. Unlike traditional aggregators that rely on customer-owned assets and require end users to actively manage participation, Budderfly owns and operates the behind-the-meter DERs it enrolls. This ownership model eliminates friction for commercial customers, enabling seamless participation in grid programs while delivering measurable operational and cost-saving benefits.
“Our model gives the grid what it needs, when it needs it, without disrupting customer operations,” says Thomas Flynn, chief administrative officer and general counsel at Budderfly. “We’re proving that the SMB segment will be a cornerstone of tomorrow’s responsive, decentralized grid.”
With more than 7,500 customer locations under management, Budderfly is now scaling flexible load capacity in a way that mirrors and rivals traditional supply-side infrastructure. Its demand-side VPP delivers value at both the building and grid level, aligning utility and customer goals without compromise.
Budderfly expects to expand into additional high-impact markets in the second half of 2025, including Texas and New York, as it continues to scale its platform and partnerships.
Small and mid-sized businesses account for an estimated $55 billion in annual U.S. electricity spending. This focus aligns with ongoing efforts at Budderfly to expand energy efficiency solutions across a broader range of commercial facilities and sectors. Budderfly’s approach combines energy efficiency, real-time optimization and software-driven DER coordination, and positions the company to aggregate flexible load across this often-overlooked segment, unlocking VPP-enabled capacity while delivering measurable cost savings, emissions reductions and long term grid value.
Budderfly is one of the fastest-growing Energy as a Service (EaaS) companies in the United States, and a premier sustainability partner for businesses and facilities. Budderfly installs, monitors and manages a combination of patented technologies, equipment upgrades and proprietary energy software for its customers at no out-of-pocket cost. Businesses benefit from lower energy bills, a reduced carbon footprint, more reliable operations and an improved customer and employee experience. For more information, visit www.budderfly.com.
SOURCE: Budderfly