Interview with: Bryce Brady and Zach Borton
The energy landscape is changing faster than ever, and Platte River is leading the charge. One of the most exciting tools in this transformation is a virtual power plant (VPP): a sophisticated system that pulls together distributed energy resources (DERs) from customers’ homes and businesses to help balance electric demand, lower costs and support the grid.
For years, Platte River’s distributed energy solutions team has offered Efficiency Works programs focused on energy efficiency and building electrification – laying the groundwork for strong, lasting relationships. Historically, these programs operated more like one-time transactions: once the work was approved, contractors took over and the interaction ended. With the launch of our VPP programs, that model is evolving. These new programs will build on existing customer relationships and shift the focus from one-off projects to ongoing collaboration. Instead of supporting isolated upgrades, we will help customers actively manage their energy use over time.
This evolution didn’t happen overnight. Conversations with owner communities began in 2019, covering DER strategy, potential studies and vendor selection. Platte River and its owner communities are moving forward together, building a VPP that communicates directly with distribution systems while keeping local reliability top of mind. As Bryce Brady, manager of distributed energy solutions, and Zach Borton, DER services manager, put it, “We’re much stronger together, by leveraging the economies of scale Platte River and the owner communities have been working together to achieve larger regional benefits for both the local distribution systems and regional energy market.”
The programs themselves are complex and long-term. Thermostats, EV chargers, battery storage, commercial demand response, and other devices from residential and commercial customers feed into a system that reduces peak load, hedges against market price volatility and ultimately stabilizes rates for everyone. While only 15–20% of customers may participate directly in the coming years, the benefits ripple across the entire grid.
Behind the scenes, the Efficiency Works team juggles technical challenges, customer engagement and cross-department coordination. Operations, engineering, technology and customer service staff work together to scale programs while keeping the system reliable and disruption-free. “Utilities were designed to sell kilowatt hours,” Bryce says. “The future is about flexibility—helping the system ramp up and down efficiently while giving customers ways to be part of the energy transition without even thinking about it.”
The strategy isn’t just about technology, it brings people and communities together. It mirrors our Public Power Week theme: Five utilities, one purpose. VPP programs are more than services, they’re partnerships. Through continuous engagement with our owner communities and customers, we’re transforming single energy upgrades into coordinated, long-term energy management strategies.
Platte River is not only anticipating the future of energy; it’s actively building it. Interactive EV charging systems, smart thermostats and battery storage are just the beginning of a VPP that will transform how electricity flows through our owner communities. By turning bold ideas into tangible, customer-focused solutions, Platte River is shaping the energy transition. This is the grid of tomorrow, being built today.