Energy storage startup Base Power has launched its massive home batteries in Illinois, targeting the PJM Interconnection—a giant U.S. power grid facing skyrocketing prices due to data centers and utility threats.
The company's residential battery systems, starting at 25 kilowatt-hours, are larger than many competitors. Instead of selling the batteries outright, Base Power requires customers to purchase electricity from them. In Illinois, their rates are a whopping 25% lower than those offered by ComEd.
Base Power has been operating over 500 megawatt-hours of battery storage in Texas since its launch two years ago. By charging when prices are low and discharging during peak demand, they’ve managed to stay ahead of the curve as PJM struggles with a backlog of new generating sources.
The timing couldn’t be better for Base Power: in April 2025, it secured a $1 billion round led by Addition, following a successful $200 million round. Its focus on residential storage sidesteps the grid operator’s slow adoption of new technologies, deploying capacity behind the meter where interconnections already exist.
