United in the News

In an op-ed for Utility Dive, United’s Alex Lawton discusses the drivers of transmission investment growth, which, in its current state, is more expensive and leaves us with an inefficient energy system. To ensure a more affordable and modernized grid, Lawton offers a two-pronged approach, targeting inefficient spending while spurring investments that promote beneficial transmission development.

Reuters reports that in Pennsylvania, solar and storage are rising fast as data centers seek generation sources that can be developed quickly. United’s Jon Gordon stated that advanced energy solutions can be deployed more quickly than traditional energy resources to meet growing energy demand.

In an opinion piece for the Indiana Business Journal, Trish Demeter, senior managing director at Advanced Energy United, argues that Indiana policymakers have multiple tools at their disposal to address energy affordability. She highlights the need for state legislation, specifically Indiana General Assembly House Bill 1002, which would modernize regulatory frameworks to enable more in-state power generation and reduce Indiana’s reliance on imported electricity to ensure adequate supply.

Heatmap News’ Jael Holzman interviews Trish Demeter, Advanced Energy United’s senior managing director, about United’s new report, produced by Synapse Energy Economics, which found that failing to address local moratoria and restrictive siting ordinances in Indiana could hinder efforts to reduce electricity prices in the state. Demeter discusses with Holzman how decision-makers in Indiana can address this issue and implications for the rest of the country.

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.

PV Magazine reports on a new study prepared for Advanced Energy United by Synapse Energy Economics, which found that doubling the current pace of solar, wind, and storage deployment in the PJM region over the next decade would result in cumulative cost savings of $178 billion. United’s Jon Gordon called for streamlining siting and permitting processes via state legislative and regulatory action in order to quickly add more advanced energy projects to the grid and meet growing energy demand.

Utility Dive reports on the New Mexico Grid Reliability through Integrated DERs (GRID) Act, which would require the state’s three investor-owned utilities to set up virtual power plant (VPP) programs to offset at least 15% of peak demand. United’s Michael Barrio stated that the bill would reduce retail energy costs through more efficient use of existing resources, highlighting the benefits of VPPs in supporting energy affordability and increasing grid resilience.

Spectrum News reports on how the Texas grid withstood Winter Storm Fern last month. Matthew Boms, Executive Director of the Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (United’s state affiliate), noted that statewide power outages were largely contained, pointing to increased deployment of battery storage solutions in bolstering the state’s power system.

Latitude Media reports on a new study from Advanced Energy United, produced by Synapse Energy Economics, which finds that allowing for increased deployment of renewables in PJM via near-term policy changes would reduce the frequency of outages across the grid operator’s 13-state territory by 97% in 2030. United’s Jon Gordon noted that the region will most likely experience more outages unless states and grid operators take action by reforming interconnection processes to speed up advanced energy buildout and deployment.

RTO Insider reports on United’s recent webinar, where expert panelists from United member companies Google, Leap Energy, and Pattern Energy discussed the newly incorporated Regional Organization for Western Energy (ROWE) and the advantages of an independent Western market. United’s Brian Turner, who moderated the webinar, introduced a new report, A Pathway to a West-wide Energy Market: Affordability, Reliability, and Choice, which featured insights from industry leaders actively navigating and shaping a unified, uniquely Western energy market.

Amid rising energy demand, The New York Times reports on a potential grid reliability crisis that could impact parts of the U.S. and Canada in the next five years. United’s President and CEO Heather O’Neill stated that deploying more advanced energy solutions can quickly and cost-effectively meet rising load growth while increasing grid resilience.

In an episode of the Maryland Energy Talk podcast, United’s Katie Mettle previews the benefits of soon to be introduced legislation which would shift utility planning toward high-efficiency, low-cost investments like demand flexibility, grid-enhancing technologies, and non-wires solutions.