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Ethan Howland

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Utility Dive: Pathways Initiative Proposes Regional Organization to Oversee Western Power Markets

Posted by Ethan Howland on Oct 2, 2024

Utility Dive reports on the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative (WWGPI) draft Step 2 proposal that would create an independent organization to oversee the Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) and pending Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM), which are run by the California Independent System Operator. The article quotes United's Brian Turner, a member of the WWGPI Launch Committee, saying that this independent organization could evolve to offer a full range of regional transmission organization services. 

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Topics: United In The News, Western RTO, California, Brian Turner

Utility Dive: Clean Energy Groups Push for More Interconnection Reforms Ahead of FERC Workshop

Posted by Ethan Howland on Aug 27, 2024

Utility Dive reports on a the release of a new report, co-commissioned by United, that calls for grid interconnection reforms to advance cost certainty and transparency, speed and schedule certainty, and remove barriers to market access. The article quotes United's Caitlin Marquis, who emphasizes the importance of reshaping the interconnection process as electricity demand increases.

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Topics: Wholesale Markets, United In The News, Caitlin Marquis, FERC

Utility Dive: Bonneville staff backs joining SPP’s Markets+ day-ahead market over CAISO alternative

Posted by Ethan Howland on Apr 5, 2024

Utility Dive reports on the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)'s recommendation to join Southwest Power Pool’s Markets+ initiative instead of the California Independent System Operator’s planned day-ahead market. The article quotes United's Leah Rubin Shen, who classifies BPA's decision as premature due to the ever-changing landscape.

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Topics: United In The News, Leah Rubin Shen, Western RTO

Utility Dive: House Democratic Bill Aims to Spur Interregional, Offshore Transmission

Posted by Ethan Howland on Dec 14, 2023

Utility Dive reports on the Clean Electricity and Transmission Acceleration Act, a bill introduced to spur transmission development, quoting United's Mike Haugh on how the bill's passage would improve our transmission system and push the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC) to take action on its pending transmission planning and cost allocation rulemaking.
 

House Democrats on Tuesday introduced a bill to spur transmission development, with a focus on interregional and offshore wind lines.

The bill, introduced by Reps. Sean Casten, D-Ill., and Mike Levin, D-Cal., plus 74 co-sponsors, directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue rules to improve interregional transmission planning; provides a 30% transmission investment tax credit; incentivizes renewable energy development in priority areas on federal land; and expands consultation with disadvantaged groups and communities in the permitting process.

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Topics: United In The News, FERC, Mike Haugh

Utility Dive: Senate passes Inflation Reduction Act with $369B in energy and climate spending

Posted by Ethan Howland on Aug 8, 2022

Utility Dive reported on the Senate approval of the IRA, quoting AEE's Nat Kreamer on how tax credits will benefit clean energy developers. Read snippets below and the full article here.

The Senate approved the Inflation Reduction Act on a party-line vote Sunday, sending the bill to the House of Representatives for a scheduled vote on Friday.

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Topics: Federal Policy, United In The News, Nat Kreamer

Utility Dive: PJM releases road map for creating ‘grid of the future’ to handle coming renewables, storage wave

Posted by Ethan Howland on May 12, 2022

Utility Dive discussed the PJM plans for renewable energy  growth, quoting AEE's Kat Burnham on the grid operator's roadmap. Read snippets below and the full article here.

The report provides “guideposts” on the areas PJM and its stakeholders need to focus on to keep the grid reliable while meeting state clean energy goals, according to Katherine Burnham, Advanced Energy Economy policy principal.

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Topics: United In The News, Kat Burnham

Utility Dive: Biden invokes Defense Production Act to bolster domestic battery manufacturing for EVs, energy storage

Posted by Ethan Howland on Apr 1, 2022

Utility Dive cited AEE's Harry Godfrey on Biden's decision to invoke the Defense Production Act and spur domestic production of minerals. Read snippets below and the full article here.

In an effort to increase U.S. energy independence, President Joe Biden on Thursday invoked the Defense Production Act to spur domestic mining and processing of minerals used to make batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage facilities.

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Topics: United In The News, Manufacturing and Infrastructure, Harrison Godfrey

Utility Dive: SOO Green transmission project faces PJM obstacles: Are grid operators hindering the energy transition?

Posted by Ethan Howland on Jan 13, 2022

Utility Dive detailed barriers to green transmission project, quoting AEE's Jeff Dennis incorporating advanced energy technologies into wholesale markets. Read snippets below and the full article here

The $2.5 billion SOO Green transmission project ticks many boxes for being an ideal proposal to help advance the energy transition, a key Biden administration priority.

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Topics: Wholesale Markets, United In The News, Jeff Dennis

Utility Dive: Colorado utilities could cut costs 5% by joining an RTO, PUC finds, as Western market momentum builds

Posted by Ethan Howland on Dec 3, 2021

Utility Dive detailed the Colorado Public Utility Commission's report encouraging state's utilities to join some form of organized wholesale market, quoting AEE's Emilie Olson on the benefits of a regional transmission organization. Read snippets below and the full article here.

Participating in a regional transmission organization (RTO) could save Colorado's utilities up to $230 million a year, or 5% of their costs, while helping meet the state's clean energy goals, according to a study released Wednesday by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission...

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Topics: State Policy, United In The News, Western RTO

Utility Dive: Southern, Duke SEEM proposal takes effect as FERC deadlocks on market plan

Posted by Ethan Howland on Oct 14, 2021

Utility Dive cited AEE's Jeff Dennis on SEEM taking effect. Read snippets below and the full article here

A proposed trading platform for 15 utilities across the Southeast — the Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM) — took effect after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission again deadlocked on a major policy issue...

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Topics: United In The News