Public Service Electric & Gas Co. (PSE&G) has launched a residential battery storage pilot program offering a $5,000 incentive toward qualifying home battery systems. The GridSmart Battery Program, announced in Newark, New Jersey, provides customers with up to $25,000 in interest-free, on-bill financing to cover remaining installation costs.
The pilot targets PSE&G’s residential electric customers, with batteries serving dual purposes: providing backup power during outages and participating in scheduled "GridSmart Battery Events" to reduce grid stress during peak demand periods. Customers receive advance notification before any grid activation, according to the utility.
PSE&G, New Jersey’s largest gas and electric delivery utility, described the initiative as a step toward understanding how residential battery storage can enhance grid reliability while offering homeowners a resilient power solution. Lauren Thomas, Vice President of Clean Energy Solutions & Customer Solutions, emphasized the program’s dual benefits: "Home battery storage is a great way to make homes more resilient. Through the GridSmart Battery Program, we're giving customers another way to invest in their homes by adding reliable backup power while helping us better understand how residential battery storage can support a more reliable electric grid."
The launch follows a July move by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, which initiated a stakeholder process to develop a statewide Virtual Power Plant (VPP) framework. PSE&G’s pilot aligns with broader efforts to integrate distributed energy resources into the state’s energy infrastructure.
