Heather O'Neill President and CEO |
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State utility regulators have a difficult but critical job balancing both reliability and affordability in our energy system. As a multi-technology industry association, we play an important role helping decision-makers better understand the rapidly changing landscape of energy technologies and policies, as our team did in Washington, D.C. this week at the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners’ (NARUC’s) Winter Policy Summit, partnering with our members to demonstrate for commissioners and staff how advanced energy solutions are being harnessed to lower costs, bolster grid resilience, and meet growing energy demand nationwide. Among the resources we handed out at NARUC this week is our new report, The Next Decade in PJM: A Path to Reliability and Affordability, which showcases that potential, finding the nation’s largest grid operator, PJM Interconnection, would experience 97% fewer power outages by 2030 and create a cumulative cost savings of $178 billion over the next decade if the region deploys more advanced energy technologies. With advanced energy ready to deploy, regulators and state decision-makers in the PJM region and beyond have a unique opportunity to transform the grid—and United’s member companies are ready to support them in delivering a more affordable, reliable, and resilient system.
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United-led Legislation Moving in Virginia and New Mexico |
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In Virginia, Sen. VanValkenburg presented the Surplus Interconnection Bill (HB 1065 / SB 508), named the FAST Act. This legislation would require utilities to identify unused grid interconnection capacity across their renewable energy sites and facilitate the development of more solar and storage assets. This week, the bill passed out of the Senate Commerce & Labor committee and the House Labor & Commerce Committee. Both bills now head to the Senate and House floors for consideration.
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In New Mexico, United’s Michael Barrio and Chloe Holden testified on behalf of United-sponsored legislation HB 311, or the Grid Reliability through Integrated DERs (GRID) Act. The bill, introduced by Representative Day Hochman-Vigil, would require utilities to develop virtual power plant (VPP) programs that help customers deploy their own energy technologies to support the grid. The bill passed out of the House Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee on a 6-5 vote.
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Welcome (Back) Dylan Reed to United |
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We are pleased to announce Dylan Reed is re-joining United as Managing Director, responsible for federal and political affairs. Dylan previously worked for us across multiple portfolios before becoming a Senior Advisor of External Affairs at the Grid Deployment Office at the U.S. Department of Energy. |
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Our energy system is facing some major affordability, reliability, and load growth challenges. At the same time, our aging distribution system is in need of reinvestment and modernization. To help address these challenges, United's Ryan Katofsky shares three new reports from the CHARGED Initiative–a collaboration between United, GridLab, and RMI–focused on better utilizing utility distribution system assets as part of the solution set. Read more.>
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Reliability and affordability are of paramount importance for PJM. Two paths lie ahead for the region: One in which primarily gas resources are deployed to meet rising load, and one in which policy change enables higher deployment of advanced energy resources (wind, solar and storage, demand flexibility resources, and advanced transmission technologies). A new analysis, conducted by Synapse Energy Economics for United, analyzes these pathways from a reliability and cost perspective. Read more.>
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As electrification accelerates and new loads are added to the distribution system, utilities need to invest in their networks in a cost-effective and timely manner. Proactive investment is all about getting ahead of future load growth in a responsible way by balancing investments in grid capacity with future load growth assessments. This webinar will share a new report developed by the CHARGED Initiative—a collaboration between United, GridLab, and RMI—providing guidance for utilities, regulators, and other stakeholders on implementing proactive investment processes to create a more efficient power system. Register here.>
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PV Magazine: Doubling the Pace of Adding Solar and Storage in the PJM Region Could Save $178 Billion by 2035
PV Magazine reports on a new study prepared by Synapse Energy Economics for United, 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.
Read more.> |
Utility Dive: New Mexico VPP Bill Would Allow Third-party Aggregators to Participate
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 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. Read more.>
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Have You Seen Our New Website? |
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With a clean new look, improved navigation, and clearer insights into who we are and where we are headed, our updated website brings our mission and the value we provide to the advanced energy industry into sharper focus.
Explore our new impact stories—real-world examples from around the country of how United turns policy solutions into market opportunities for our members. View the new website.>
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The annual Intersolar & Energy Storage North America (IESNA) Flagship tradeshow and conference will bring together industry experts from across the U.S., showcasing innovative advanced energy solutions and examining policy, technology, and market developments. Be sure to catch United's President and CEO Heather O’Neill, who will be speaking on the “Power by Association: Mobilizing Collective Action for Clean Energy” panel on day two of the event. United's Valessa Souter-Kline and Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance's Matthew Boms will also be speaking on the “State Power Players: The State-Level Decisions Reshaping U.S. Energy Markets” panel on the first day of the event. Register here.>
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United is proud to be the Platinum Sponsor of Energy Storage USA 2026! As the U.S. energy storage market scales rapidly in the wake of policy shifts and technological breakthroughs, this event will connect the entire value chain–from storage developers and utilities to investors, grid operators, and innovators, addressing the practical realities of financing, building, and operating storage projects in today’s market. Connect with us at Energy Storage USA.>
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Join United at SolarPlus USA this spring to learn about all things solar + storage. The event will bring together hundreds of project developers, capital providers, utilities, asset managers, and policymakers, providing insights into key innovations shaping the next generation of utility-scale solar and energy storage projects. We are proud to be the Bronze Sponsor of this event. Connect with us at SolarPlus USA.>
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Members of our team are looking forward to Infocast’s California Clean Energy Summit. Over the course of three days, industry experts will provide in-depth analysis of clean energy policies and initiatives regarding resource adequacy, grid upgrades, project siting, and interconnection. Register here.> |
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