GridPoint plans to expand its energy management platform to include on-site battery storage, with a target of 2 gigawatts (GW) of distributed storage capacity across its existing customer base of more than 20,000 buildings.

The company also announced that co-founder Adrian De Luca has returned as CEO to lead the expansion.

The announcement comes as U.S. electricity demand is projected to reach record levels in 2026 and 2027, driven in part by growth in AI data centers and manufacturing. Rising electricity costs are also affecting commercial building operators, including businesses managing restaurants, pharmacies and retail locations.

GridPoint reported that commercial electricity rates across its customer sites increased 42% over the past five years. Capacity prices in PJM Interconnection, the nation's largest grid operator, reached the auction price cap of $325 per megawatt-day for the 2028/2029 delivery year. That compares with $28.92 for 2024/2025. PJM estimates the price would have reached nearly $555 without the cap.

GridPoint's platform currently manages HVAC, refrigeration, lighting and other controllable energy loads for multi-site businesses, including Walgreens, Panda Express and Wendy's. The planned battery storage expansion would add energy storage capabilities to that existing infrastructure.

According to the company, batteries could help participating facilities reduce peak demand charges by shifting electricity use to lower-cost periods. Stored energy and available capacity could also qualify for payments through utility and capacity programs.

GridPoint estimates that battery storage could reduce energy bills by up to an additional 15% at qualifying sites, beyond the 20% savings the company says customers typically achieve through its existing platform.

The company also cited resilience as a potential benefit of on-site storage, reporting that its customer locations across 26 states experienced 1,699 weather-related power outages over the past year.

De Luca co-founded GridPoint in 2003 with company Chairman Peter Corsell. He returns to the company from infrastructure investment firm I Squared Capital, where he invested in and scaled energy and grid technology businesses.

Corsell said the company's next phase will focus on adding battery energy storage systems to its existing customer base.

GridPoint's energy management platform will remain the foundation of its offering, with battery storage available as an optional addition at locations where site economics support deployment.