Solar & Battery Storage Shield New England During Heatwave

According to a recent report[1] by the Acadia Center, on June 24^th, behind-the-meter solar systems delivered over 5 gigawatts of electricity as temperatures across New England surged above 100°F. These scorching conditions drove electricity demand to its limit, but New England was able to avoid blackouts with help from rooftop solar and battery storage.

At the start of the day, the grid operator, ISO New England, issued a ‘power caution’ alert as energy demand surged to 26,024 megawatt-hours, marking this the highest peak recorded since August 2^nd, 2006.

Homeowners with solar panels immediately benefited as wholesale electricity prices rose to above $1,000 per megawatt-hour during peak periods, saving solar users over $8.2 million. According to Jamie Dickerson senior director of clean energy and climate programs at the Acadia Center, “solar was helping not just deliver megawatt-hours but also suppressing demand for the entire region.”[2] Overall, behind-the-meter solar power generated from systems installed on homes and businesses supplied up to 22% of total electricity consumed during peak hours, helping to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels[3].

Throughout New England, battery storage played a crucial component. More specifically, New England now has approximately 270 MW of industrial battery storage that can be used during extreme heat events.[4] In addition to Green Mountain Power’s 72 MW virtual power plant located in Vermont. Across the United States, California and Texas have also seen numerous benefits from increased battery capacity on high demand days.

Overall, the weather conditions on June 24 demonstrated how a diversified clean energy can enhance resilience. By combining solar and battery storage, New England not only maintained grid reliability during a historic heatwave it also protected customers from exorbitant costs.

[1] Grid Action Report- June Heat Wave (Acadia Center, 2025).

[2] Report: clean energy kept lights on during New England heat wave (Carley, 2025).

[3] A heat wave hit New England’s grid. Clean energy saved the day (Canary Media, 2025).

[4] Batteries are playing a bigger role in keeping the lights on during New England heat waves (Vermont Public, 2025).