News

Report from Strategen Consulting and Advanced Energy United calls on Michigan decision-makers to study changing market conditions and cost-containment strategies for natural gas.

LANSING, MICHIGAN –Consumers Energy customers may see their gas bills increase up to 50% over the next decade according to a new report.

The report from Strategen Consulting analyzed Consumers’ 10-year Natural Gas Delivery Plan, warning that the utility’s $11 billion of planned infrastructure investments is unjustifiable and stems from faulty analysis and profit bias. The report estimates that the planned investments, coupled with conservative predictions for reduced gas demand from trends in electrification and energy efficiency, could cause the average residential bill to grow as high as $130 a month by 2030 – up from $75 in 2021.

Introduced today in the Senate and the House of Representatives, the bill would support the buildout of much-needed electric transmission infrastructure

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, national business association Advanced Energy United endorsed the Building Integrated Grids With Inter-Regional Energy Supply (BIG WIRES) Act, introduced today by Senator Hickenlooper and Representative Peters. The bill would address the need for more reliable transmission infrastructure to reduce power outages and upgrade power sector infrastructure.

Legislation paves the way for more rapid clean energy deployment to California households

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – Today, Advanced Energy United celebrated the bipartisan passage of SB 410, The Powering Up Californians Act, the first bill of its kind aimed at tackling delays in connecting customers’ clean energy technologies to the state’s power grid. Californians want clean energy solutions like residential solar and storage, heat pumps, and electric vehicles (EVs), but interconnection delays are a major obstacle in customer adoption of these technologies, slowing progress toward California’s decarbonization goals and customer energy savings.  

SB 410, introduced by Senator Josh Becker (District 13), requires an ongoing assessment of every investor-owned electric utility’s electrical service and interconnection performance, workforce staffing levels, and grid capacity. This bill also facilitates clear and reasonable timeframes for connecting clean energy systems to hold utilities accountable, benefit customers, and prevent future bottlenecks.  

In a video interview with The Pattrn Show on The Weather Channel, Matthew Boms of Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance - Advanced Energy United's Texas state chapter - emphasizes that wind, solar, and storage have played a pivotal role in ensuring Texans have reliable power this summer, consistently contributing over 30-40% of the state's total generation. Spotlighting Texas as a leader in advanced energy generation, Boms underlines that renewable energy technologies are mature, cost-effective, scalable, and critical for Texas’ energy future.

A bill to establish a statewide goal for zero-emission school buses will soon head to the Governor’s desk  

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – Today, the California Senate passed AB 579 to accelerate the adoption of electric school buses and bring the benefits of clean air and cost-savings to communities statewide. The bill, sponsored by Advanced Energy United and CALSTART, represents the latest significant action from the California Legislature to accelerate the transition to clean and safe school transportation. The bill will soon head to Governor Newsom’s desk for signing.  

Brought forward by Assemblymember Phil Ting (District 19), AB 579sets a statewide deadline requiring all new school buses purchased or leased after 2035 to be zero-emission. The bill extends the lease terms for contracted zero-emission school buses to maximize longer-term savings for schools. Expanding electric school bus adoption over the next decade will substantially reduce maintenance and fuel costs by thousands of dollars annually, freeing up funding to put back into the classroom. 

TRENTON, NJ – National business association Advanced Energy United shares its condolences today for the family, friends and colleagues of Joseph Fiordaliso, president of New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities (BPU), a longtime public servant who was a positive force behind the state’s ambitious push towards a clean energy future.

Advanced Energy United applauds Governor Whitmer’s vision for achieving 100% clean energy by 2035

LANSING, MICHIGAN – In her “What’s Next Address,” Governor Whitmer named her clean energy priorities for the remainder of the legislative session, among them: reforms to permitting of large-scale renewable energy, a 100% clean energy standard, improvements to utility energy waste reduction programs, and authorization of the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) to consider equity and climate in its regulation of utilities.

“From her implementation of the MI Healthy Climate Plan, to the huge investments in clean energy in the most recent state budget, and the onshoring of battery manufacturing, Governor Whitmer’s leadership on clean energy is undeniable,” said Samarth Medakkar, Policy Principal with Advanced Energy United. “We appreciate this comprehensive approach which not only sets ambitious targets for renewable power and energy efficiency, but also lays out practical reforms for permitting processes and regulatory oversight that will make those goals possible.”

In an opinion piece to CommonWealth Magazine, Advanced Energy United’s Jeremy McDiarmid and Kat Burnham stressed the importance of a robust and resilient grid, highlighting the role New England governors have in building on state commitments to clean energy goals by taking a regional, holistic approach to developing the grid.

The utter devastation of summer flooding in New England and New York and the Canadian wildfire smoke that shrouded the Northeast in an orange haze in June shouts an inescapable truth louder than any voice: Climate change knows no geographic boundaries. Like it or not, the climate crisis is a global and regional issue. We’re in it together, and we’ll have to get out of it together.

Most New England states are committed to making progress on climate action, but states won’t meet their goals without a holistic approach. We need a drastic cut in carbon emissions and no amount of solar, wind, or electric vehicles will get us there without a robust, resilient, and dynamic grid across our states. Getting to 100 percent clean energy requires regional solutions, and New England governors should take the opportunity to show how it’s done.

The Hill provides a comprehensive analysis of the successes and shortcomings of the Inflation Reduction Act one year after the legislation passed, quoting Advanced Energy United's President & CEO Heather O'Neill on the Congressional steps needed to maximize the full potential of the policy.

One year after its adoption, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has resulted in significant strides in the adoption of renewable energy — but the U.S. still has work to do in order to reach President Biden’s climate goals. 

New analyses demonstrate significant growth in the renewables sector as a result of the law, the most significant climate legislation in the country’s history. They also say, however, that the U.S. is not quite on track to meet its climate objectives.