a16z-backed Base Power Expands to PJM Grid with Cheaper Electricity
Original: a16z-backed Base Power is offering cheaper electricity to the power grid that needs it most
Why This Matters
Base Power's grid entry addresses critical electricity supply gaps while demonstrating how distributed residential storage can bypass legacy utility infrastructure constraints.
Energy storage startup Base Power began selling residential battery systems in Illinois on June 25, 2026, marking its first entry into PJM Interconnection territory. The company offers electricity rates 25% below ComEd's utility rates and operates over 500 megawatt-hours of battery storage capacity.
Base Power, an a16z-backed energy storage startup, launched residential battery sales in Illinois on June 25, 2026, entering the territory of PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. grid operator by territory. This expansion comes as PJM faces severe electricity supply challenges, with wholesale prices nearly doubling over the past year due to surging data center demand in regions like Northern Virginia. Base Power's residential batteries start at 25 kilowatt-hours and operate on a model where customers purchase electricity directly from the company rather than buying the batteries outright. In Illinois, Base Power's rates are 25% below those of utility ComEd. The startup, founded two years ago in Texas, currently operates over 500 megawatt-hours of battery storage capacity across Texas. Base Power strategically deploys batteries behind-the-meter at residential homes where interconnection already exists, bypassing PJM's slow interconnection queue process. CEO Zach Dell stated: "We are deploying capacity behind the meter at the residential home, where an interconnection already exists, so we don't wait in the interconnection queue." Base Power secured $1 billion in funding led by Addition in October 2025, following a $200 million round from Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Valor Equity Partners in April 2025.