Base Power Wants To Sell You Electricity Like A Costco Membership

There are subscriptions for nearly everything these days. Streaming, apps, software, cloud services, groceries, video games, food delivery, brand memberships like Amazon Prime or Costco — you name it. Thanks to Base, a Texas-based power provider, there may also be a "Costco-like membership" for electricity and backup power in your home. The idea is pretty radical. Power and electricity costs are rising — partly due to the prevalence of AI — and reliability is waning, with local electrical surges and outages possible. So it makes sense that backup power is becoming more appealing, just to keep the bare necessities running. Backup power solutions are a viable answer, but a true backup generator capable of supporting a home and family can cost upwards of $15,000. That's a huge upfront buy-in.

Base is making it more accessible and affordable for homeowners, with a monthly membership fee of $19, and a leased battery backup system for a one-time fee of $695. The Base membership price isn't fixed, though. You may pay more depending on fees, services, and other platform solutions, but overall, it's still better than paying the massive whole-home generator installation costs, at least for some. Zach Dell, CEO of Base Power, said to Fortune that the product is safe and reliable, and a Costco-like subscription is "just dramatically more affordable." He describes the competition as "premium" providers offering services to "very wealthy folks," compared to Base, which is focused on offering solutions for the mass market.

Currently, Base Power has deployed over 100 megawatt-hours of battery capacity in residential areas with plans for an initial battery factory in Austin, Texas. They've also made it known that a second factory is planned. It uses a vertical integration model, where a business takes ownership of key production stages, to help cut product costs. Right now, the company is using capital from investors like Addition, Thrive Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Alphabet's CapitalG, and others, to support its strategy, scale development, and lower costs. Dell says it's so they "can deliver the most affordable product on the market." As new versions of the product and its technologies launch, he predicts prices will go down because the "economics will get better." 

Base is currently only available in Texas, including Austin, Houston, and Dallas. You can check if your address is covered on the company's website. It has tentative plans to expand starting in 2026, possibly to other states. As for why the focus is on battery backup, Dell explains it's because the technology is advancing and becoming cheaper and more capable. It's also easy for homeowners to install, and the stored power will provide suitable electricity even in an outage. Second batteries will be available at a discount for larger homes. By comparison, installing solar panels on your home may lead to cost savings on your power bill, but recouping the initial costs can take time. Base promises to give you access to those cost savings as soon as you become a member.