United Advocacy in Action | March 7, 2025
Advanced Energy United
United in our mission to accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy.
A Note From Our CEO
At Advanced Energy United, we have long understood that state decision makers hold the keys to accelerating the energy transition and unlocking market opportunities. Our team is hard at work as legislative season is underway across the country. In the states, our team of advocates have been testifying in legislative hearings and working vote counts in New Mexico, Maryland, Connecticut, and Illinois, and organizing lobby days in California, Texas, and Wisconsin. Throughout our engagement with policy makers and industry leaders, we’ve brought our members along to share the story of how advanced energy plays a critical role in keeping the lights on and meeting the needs of our energy system. In Washington, D.C., United staff and members had a strong presence at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Winter Policy Summit and participated in the ACORE Policy Forum, while in San Diego, United experts took the stage at Intersolar and Energy Storage North America, contributing to panel discussions on the latest advancements in solar, energy storage, and vehicle-to-grid innovations.
Policy Update
This week, House Bill (HB) 93, also known as the Advanced Grid Technology Act, sponsored by Representative Kristina Ortez, passed the House Floor. The bill now moves to the Senate. United’s Michael Barrio spoke about the benefits of the bill, emphasizing the importance of modernizing the state’s grid with advanced energy technologies to create reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy for all New Mexicans. Read more.>?
New York Senator Leroy Comrie introduced legislation (Senate Bill 5995) to integrate New York’s gas and electric energy planning process and save consumers money. United’s Kristina Persaud stated that the bill offers an innovative approach that aligns New York’s energy planning with the state’s clean energy goals and gives utilities more options through advanced energy solutions to meet consumer needs. Read more.>?
United joined several other industry organizations in filing an amicus brief in support of the Michigan Public Service Commission’s actions to implement Public Act 233, which allows farmers to use their land for wind, solar, and storage projects while ensuring a thorough review of the projects. United’s Trish Demeter spoke to the benefits of the law for Michiganders, including increased job growth, economic boosts, and establishing energy independence. Read more.>?
A new report, commissioned by United and produced by Baker Tilly, shows expanding solar power generation in Indiana would drive millions in additional tax revenue to local communities, all while creating new jobs, lowering energy costs, and meeting soaring energy demand. United’s Trish Demeter highlighted that Indiana stands to gain more economic development opportunities and tax revenue if barriers to new energy projects, including solar, wind, and battery storage, are reduced. Read more.>?
United recently filed the testimony of our expert witness in Dominion Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan, highlighting the utility’s failure to properly include all advanced energy options in its electricity supply portfolio for the next 15 years. United’s Shawn Kelly stated that Virginia’s clean energy future depends on forward-looking utility planning that prioritizes affordable, reliable, and clean energy resources, noting that Dominion’s proposal ignores the potential of advanced energy solutions and creates cost uncertainty for ratepayers. Read more.>?
On the Blog
Amy Heart, Senior Vice President of Public Policy at Sunrun, has been elected Chair of United’s Board of Directors. Heart leads Sunrun’s policy team, working to protect and expand access to home solar and battery solutions, and developing policies to leverage these solutions to help our overall grid. Her board leadership will strengthen United’s work to expand market opportunities with policy solutions. Read more.>?
In Nevada, the need to significantly expand power generation, transmission capacity, and regional resource sharing is urgent as the state’s energy grid struggles to keep up with rapid economic and industrial growth. On our blog, United’s Leah Rubin Shen highlights a new report issued by Nevada’s Regional Transmission Coordination Task Force that emphasizes continued investments in transmission expansion to ensure reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy across the state. Read more.>?
Webinars
PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest grid operator, stands at a crossroads as it navigates mounting challenges that threaten reliability and affordability. With energy demand rising and advanced energy projects stacking up in a congested interconnection queue, state decisionmakers within PJM’s 13-state region face increasing pressure to curb rising consumer costs and modernize outdated market rules that are slowing the energy transition. But solutions are within reach. Join Jacob Finkel, Deputy Secretary of Policy for Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Rob Gramlich, President of Grid Strategies LLC, and leading experts from Advanced Energy United, which has been at the forefront of efforts to modernize PJM’s processes and accelerate the interconnection of advanced energy resources, for a deep dive into the path forward for PJM. Register here.>?
In the News
In Texas, companies are pioneering virtual power plant (VPP) initiatives by offering homeowners at-home battery systems through a subscription model that supplies power back to the Texas grid. Matthew Boms, Executive Director of United’s state affiliate Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance, spoke to San Antonio Express-News about the benefits of VPPs, encouraging the Texas government to invest in advanced energy technologies to increase grid reliability. Read more.>?
RTO Insider reports that the PJM Board of Managers approved $6 billion for the Regional Transmission Expansion Plan. United's Jon Gordon spoke about the plan's lack of comprehensive regional planning and competitive bidding, noting the total 5-year cost is approaching $40 billion, which will be passed directly on to ratepayers. Read more.>?
Member News
United member companies Carrier?and?Google?have partnered to help homeowners better manage their energy. Carrier will be bringing grid solution intelligence into homes with the company’s proprietary Home Energy Management System. This system will leverage battery storage and advanced HVAC technology, together with Google Cloud’s AI-powered analytics and weather forecasting, to help optimize home energy use, reduce costs for homeowners, and improve grid efficiency. Read more.>
Industry Events
Mark your calendars for the International Battery Seminar & Exhibit in Orlando, FL! Over the course of four jam-packed days, attendees will get to hear from thousands of battery technologists and industry experts, gaining key insights into significant advances in materials, product development, manufacturing, and application for all battery systems and enabling technologies. Be sure to catch United’s Sarah King who will be speaking on the “Funding & Incentives Capturing for EV Charging: Navigating Opportunities, Complexities, and the Policy Landscape” panel on March 18 and moderating the “Where Fast Charging R&D and Infrastructure Expansion Converge” panel on March 19. Register here.>?
The US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C. empowers Hispanic business owners to navigate the evolving political and economic landscape while fostering bipartisan connections with policymakers. The conference will explore key economic issues, including immigration policy, taxes, trade expansion, access to capital, and small business development, providing interactive workshops focused on critical areas shaping today’s global economy. Be sure to catch United’s Harry Godfrey who will be among the speakers at the event. Register here.>
Our team is looking forward to attending DISTRIBUTECH International in Dallas, Texas! The event will bring together over 700+ exhibitors, showcasing transformative solutions in electricity delivery automation, energy efficiency, demand response, and more! United is excited to discuss new strategies that will shape the future of transmission and distribution across the nation. Register here.>
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