TL;DR: Utah has one stackable battery rebate worth talking about in 2026 — $2,000 Rocky Mountain Power Wattsmart + $500 Tesla Next Million = $2,500 off a Tesla Powerwall 3 install. Both stack. Both go to the customer, not the installer. BYOP files both applications. The catch is that Wattsmart requires 4-year enrollment and grants RMP the ability to dispatch your battery during ~10 grid stress events per year (never below 20% reserve, never during a real outage). For most Tesla Powerwall buyers, the trade is worth it. Sigenergy, EG4, and Ruixu are not currently on the RMP eligible list.
What is Wattsmart, in plain English?
Wattsmart is Rocky Mountain Power's Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program. RMP pays Utah homeowners with batteries to let RMP draw from those batteries when the Utah grid is peaking — typically hot summer afternoons when everyone's AC is running and the grid hits its hardest stress hours.
The "why" is straightforward: Utah's grid hits its hardest stress hours about 10 times a year. Building new generation and transmission to handle those 10 hours is enormously expensive. Paying 5,000 homeowners $2,000 each for occasional access to their batteries is cheaper than building a peaker plant. That's the deal — RMP is buying the cheapest "generation capacity" they can get, and the homeowners are getting paid for letting them.
What the customer actually gives up
- Dispatch frequency: Roughly 10 events per year (RMP-published number from 2024–2025 program data)
- Dispatch duration: 2–4 hours per event
- Battery drain limit: RMP cannot drain below 20% reserve. You always have backup capacity left.
- Outage protection: If the grid is down (real outage), RMP cannot dispatch your battery. The battery is yours during emergencies, always.
- 4-year enrollment commitment. Early withdrawal forfeits some or all of the $2,000 plus the bill credits.
- Time-of-Day rate plan (Schedule 135/136/137). Cheaper imports at night, pricier at peak — usually a win for battery owners anyway.
- Notification: Your battery monitoring app shows you when a dispatch is happening.
What the customer gets
- $2,000 upfront paid by Rocky Mountain Power directly to the customer (per Wattsmart-qualifying battery)
- Annual bill credits during enrollment
- $500 Tesla Next Million stacked on top, if the battery is a Tesla Powerwall
- Battery still yours during outages. RMP cannot reach a battery on an islanded grid — if the grid is down, the Powerwall is yours alone.
Eligible batteries (as of May 2026 RMP published list)
- Tesla Powerwall 3
- FranklinWH aPower 2 / aPower X
- SolarEdge Energy Bank
- Sonnen
- Fortress
- Torus
Not currently on the RMP list: Sigenergy, EG4, Ruixu, Anker SOLIX, Ecoflow.
For BYOP customers in practice, this means: Tesla Powerwall 3 is the only battery in our lineup we currently file Wattsmart on. That's a big reason it's our default retrofit recommendation when the customer doesn't have a specific reason to choose Sigenergy or EG4. Full brand comparison here.
How the Wattsmart application actually works
- We complete the install and commission the battery.
- We file the Wattsmart application with RMP on the customer's behalf (paperwork, system specs, interconnection details).
- RMP reviews and approves (typical 2–6 weeks).
- The $2,000 check arrives at the customer's address (not a bill credit — actual paper check or direct deposit).
- Battery is enrolled in dispatch for the next 4 years.
- Annual bill credits accrue automatically.
The customer doesn't have to chase any paperwork. We handle it.
The Tesla Next Million rebate, in detail
Tesla's "Powerwall Next Million" program is a manufacturer rebate Tesla pays directly to homeowners to subsidize Powerwall 3 purchases. It's Tesla using their production-scale advantage to drop net cost and pull demand forward.
- $500 per Powerwall 3.
- Capped at 2 units per household ($1,000 maximum).
- Tesla-certified installer required. Non-certified installers can install Powerwall, but the customer forfeits the $500 per unit. BYOP is Tesla-certified.
- Customer registers the Powerwall in their Tesla account post-commission. Takes 5 minutes on the day of install.
- Rebate arrives within 4–8 weeks in the customer's Tesla account or bank account.
Stacking with Wattsmart: yes, fully stackable. Wattsmart and Next Million are independent programs with no exclusion language between them. The full $2,500 stack ($2,000 Wattsmart + $500 Tesla) hits Powerwall 3 installs in Utah.
Active status: The Tesla Next Million program is active as of May 2026. Tesla has not announced an end date publicly, but the program is structured as a capped manufacturer rebate. Sign by June 30, 2026 to lock the current Tesla Next Million rate — we make no guarantee about pricing beyond that.
Gotchas:
- 2-unit cap. A 3-Powerwall install gets $1,000 total Tesla rebate, not $1,500.
- Customer must complete the Tesla account registration. We facilitate but can't do it for them.
Who shouldn't enroll in Wattsmart
- Anyone whose battery is critical to medical equipment. Wattsmart's 20% reserve floor is generous, but if you need certainty about full battery state for medical reasons, skip the program.
- Customers who can't commit to 4 years. Early withdrawal forfeits some or all of the $2,000 plus the bill credits.
- Customers with Sigenergy, EG4, or Ruixu batteries. Not currently eligible.
Bat estimates 80%+ of his battery customers enroll in Wattsmart. The trade is good for almost everyone.
"Will my battery wear out faster from Wattsmart dispatches?"
No. Modern LFP batteries (Tesla PW3, all our bench) are rated for 6,000+ cycles. Wattsmart dispatch ≈ 10 partial cycles per year ≈ 40 cycles over the 4-year enrollment = less than 1% of total cycle life. Not a meaningful concern.
"Will RMP drain my battery during an outage?"
No. The dispatch only triggers during grid peak demand, not during grid failure. During an outage, the battery is yours alone — RMP has no remote access to a battery on an islanded grid. This is built into the program design.
What's NOT in the stack (the federal ITC)
The federal residential solar/battery tax credit (the 30% ITC) expired December 31, 2025 per the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It does not apply to 2026 residential battery installs in Utah or anywhere else. Full ITC breakdown here. What's left is what's described in this article: Wattsmart + Tesla Next Million for Powerwall installs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Rocky Mountain Power Wattsmart battery rebate in 2026?
The current Wattsmart Battery program pays $2,000 per qualifying battery in Utah (as of May 2026). The program is changing effective June 15, 2026 — new structure may include a $1,000 upfront enrollment incentive for single-battery residential under 10 kW. Verify the structure at install time.
How does Wattsmart actually work? Does RMP control my battery?
Wattsmart is a Virtual Power Plant program. RMP can dispatch your battery during grid peak demand events — typically hot summer afternoons. Roughly 10 dispatch events per year. Each event is 2–4 hours. RMP cannot drain your battery below 20% reserve, and cannot dispatch your battery during an actual grid outage. The program requires 4 years of enrollment and Time-of-Day rate plan.
Which batteries qualify for Wattsmart in Utah?
The May 2026 published RMP eligible-brand list includes Tesla Powerwall 3, FranklinWH aPower 2/X, SolarEdge Energy Bank, Sonnen, Fortress, and Torus. Sigenergy, EG4, Ruixu, Anker SOLIX, and Ecoflow are not on the published list. Of the brands BYOP installs, only Tesla Powerwall 3 currently qualifies for Wattsmart.
What is the Tesla Next Million rebate?
Tesla's Next Million Powerwall rebate is a manufacturer-funded program that pays $500 per Powerwall 3, capped at 2 units per household ($1,000 maximum). It stacks with Wattsmart. Battery must be installed by a Tesla-certified installer (BYOP is certified). Customer registers the Powerwall in their Tesla account post-commission and the rebate arrives within 4–8 weeks.
About the author
Batsaikhan(Bat) Ariun-Erdene is the owner of BYOP Electric, a Tesla Powerwall Certified Installer and Utah Master Electrician (E200). BYOP has filed Wattsmart applications on every qualifying battery install. More about Bat and BYOP Electric.