Come hear the results of the “Grid of the Future” pilot program, which offered Maine homeowners a discount on smart appliances (heat pumps, water heaters, smart EV chargers, and batteries) in exchange for allowing aggregated remote control of those devices as a “Virtual Peaker” power plant. The virtual power plant was controlled to demonstrate the potential value of aggregated, controllable distributed energy resources including reducing the need for fossil-fuel peaker plants, reducing transmission costs, and enabling deeper penetration of renewable energy on the regional grid. Virtual power plants allow homeowners, businesses, and communities to work together with smart technology to reduce costs and pollution. What did we learn about how remote or automated management of appliances can save money and improve the reliability of the grid?