Central Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) has agreed a partnership with Base Power to deploy a 50MW networked fleet of residential batteries across the co-op’s service territory, the organizations announced. Base will install and maintain the systems while Central Georgia EMC will control when the fleet charges and discharges to provide local capacity for the electric system.
What the program offers members and the co-op
Under the program, Central Georgia EMC can dispatch the aggregated battery fleet to reduce system load during peak demand and to capitalize on price differences by charging when wholesale prices are low and discharging when prices are high. For participating co-op members, Base will provide automatic, whole-home backup for a one-time fee of US$95, with no additional monthly fee, the announcement says.
Base retains responsibility for installation and ongoing maintenance for the life of each battery; members will continue to be billed for their household energy at Central Georgia EMC’s standard rates. The first installations are scheduled for 2027.
How the arrangement is structured
- Capacity: 50MW aggregated residential battery fleet
- Provider: Base Power (installation, maintenance, fleet operations)
- Dispatcher: Central Georgia EMC (controls charge/discharge)
- member cost: US$95 for automatic whole-home backup; no additional monthly fee
- timeline: first installations scheduled for 2027
The announcement positions the deal as a fast, low-cost route for the co-op to add flexible, local capacity. Base’s model, as described, keeps ownership and upkeep with the provider while giving the utility direct control over dispatch, a structure utilities and third-party aggregators have used to add capacity without large up-front capital programs.
Company context
Base is expanding outside Texas for the first time with this partnership. The firm has worked with other utilities including Austin Energy, El Paso Electric, CoServ, Farmers Electric Cooperative and Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative. The partnership with Central Georgia EMC follows Base’s announcement of a US$1bn Series D and the launch of a home battery product called Base Core, according to the release.
“As the energy industry continues to evolve, Central Georgia EMC is committed to pursuing innovative solutions that provide value to our members,” said George L. Weaver, president/CEO of the co-op.
Weaver added that the partnership will allow the co-op to add flexible local capacity while offering participating members dependable backup battery power. The announcement notes that Base’s installations will be outside the home and that the company will handle service and maintenance for the life of the battery.
For professional installers, integrators and dealers attentive to residential storage demand, the arrangement signals ongoing market growth for packaged home-battery deployments tied to utility programs. The structure — provider installs and maintains hardware while the utility manages dispatch — can create recurring opportunities for local partners in permitting, site prep, interconnection, and potential warranty or service coordination roles, depending on contract terms the parties sign with individual members and any local subcontracting Base elects to use.
Central Georgia EMC joins a growing list of utilities working with Base as the company scales its fleet and product offerings nationwide. The partnership also demonstrates one pathway utilities are using to add distributed, dispatchable capacity quickly without direct ownership of residential assets.
