Leah Rubin Shen

Nevada’s KNUR Public Radio reports on Advanced Energy United’s new report, which outlines a path toward a single, West-wide regional energy market that would allow utilities to buy and sell electricity across state lines more seamlessly. The station interviewed United Managing Director Leah Rubin Shen, who emphasizes that state governments and utilities need to work together to keep the lights on and costs down.

As electricity demand rises across the West and grid reliability and affordability concerns persist, a new report from Advanced Energy United shows that the Regional Organization for Western Energy (ROWE) offers a practical, uniquely Western-built pathway to a stronger regional grid.  

Colorado Newsline reports on a Western Governors’ Association Workshop, where United’s Leah Rubin Shen spoke on the “Transmission Needs for More-of-the-Above” panel, emphasizing that the West will need to increase transmission capacity in order to meet growing energy demand, strengthen reliability, and lower energy costs for consumers.

Bloomberg Government reports that California lawmakers are pushing for Assembly Bill (AB) 825, which would allow the state to join a regional energy market. United’s Leah Rubin Shen highlighted that the bill demonstrates California’s commitment to a more affordable, reliable, and sustainable Western energy market.

As the California legislative session comes to a close, the legislature and Governor have failed to fund the state’s flagship clean grid reliability program, the Demand Side Grid Support (DSGS) program.

In an opinion piece for the Santa Cruz Sentinel, United’s Leah Rubin Shen urges the California legislature to pass Senate Bill 540, which would allow California to join a West-wide regional energy market this year. She warns that failing to act could leave California isolated from the rest of the West. The benefits of joining such a market would save ratepayers $1B annually, improve grid reliability during extreme weather, make better use of the clean energy resources we produce, and rely less on expensive, polluting peaker plants.

The Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 540, advancing legislation that continues to balance diverse stakeholder priorities while creating a pathway to reliable and affordable clean energy.

The Nevada Independent reports on President Trump’s executive order to halt all Inflation Reduction Act disbursements. United’s Leah Rubin Shen warns that this freeze will hurt families, small businesses, and local economies.

Big Pivots reports that Colorado has established itself as a national leader in the energy transition, but emphasizes the need for continued efforts to sustain its momentum. The article quotes United’s Leah Rubin Shen, who highlights the state’s leadership in distribution system planning.

The Launch Committee for the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative released Step 2 of its Straw Proposal, which proposes to establish a new, independent Regional Organization (RO) to govern existing regional energy markets, as well as potentially provide additional market services in the future. Clean energy industry representatives provided the following statements on the proposal, which will also help advance efforts to build a Western RTO.

The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) approved the first step of the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative’s straw proposal. Step 1 of the straw proposal increases the independence of the existing CAISO real-time and day-ahead markets’ governance by providing more autonomy to the existing Western Energy Market Governing Body.

In an opinion piece for The East Bay Times, United’s Leah Rubin Shen discusses the looming energy affordability crisis in California due to rising natural gas bills, urging state lawmakers to take decisive action for a sustainable energy transition.