News

Marissa Paslick Gillett and David Arconti bring deep expertise and proven leadership to PURA 

HARTFORD, CT – Advanced Energy United congratulates David Arconti and Marissa Paslick Gillett on their confirmation today to Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA).  

“Strong leadership at PURA is essential to providing a modern, and cost-effective energy system to serve Connecticut ratepayers,” said Advanced Energy United Connecticut Policy Lead Kat Burnham. “We look forward to working with Chairman Gillett and Commissioner Arconti to bolster Connecticut’s energy system performance, improve grid resilience, and lower costs for consumers.” 

As former chair of the Energy & Technology Committee in the Connecticut House of Representatives, Arconti played a key role in shaping the state’s energy policy. Gillett, who has served as PURA’s chair since 2019, has led efforts to modernize utility regulation and expand clean energy opportunities. 

“With their leadership and expertise at PURA, Connecticut is well-positioned to deliver a more reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy system,” added Burnham. “We stand ready to support their efforts to drive innovation and investment in the state’s energy future.” 

AI initiative marks a promising new tool for tackling PJM’s backlog, especially if paired with continued policy reform 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, PJM Interconnection and Google announced a groundbreaking partnership to use artificial intelligence to streamline how new energy projects connect to the power grid. Clean energy industry advocates welcomed the move as a smart and necessary step toward solving the interconnection backlog that has stalled thousands of clean energy projects across the region. Advanced Energy United praised the initiative as a sign that PJM is embracing innovation to modernize the grid. 

Ratepayer-focus in the ‘Energy Session’ missed the mark on several fronts   

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland General Assembly gaveled out its 2025 legislative session at midnight last night. While lawmakers advanced legislation on utility transparency and energy storage, the session brought mixed outcomes for clean energy policies. 

“While this session didn’t deliver on everything we hoped, battery storage and utility accountability were bright spots,” said Katie Mettle, Advanced Energy United Maryland Policy Lead. “Marylanders deserve bold, decisive leadership on clean energy, and this session didn’t deliver that across the board.” 

Transmission Solutions Under New Long-Term Planning Framework Will Unlock Abundant Clean Energy Resources in Maine 

BOSTON, MA — Today, New England took a major step toward modernizing its electric grid with the launch of the region’s first Request for Proposals (RFP) under a new long-term transmission planning process. This marks a breakthrough in efforts to expand the grid, clear bottlenecks, and bring more clean energy online to meet the region’s growing electricity needs.  

The new long-term framework, developed by ISO-NE in collaboration with the New England States Committee on Electricity (NESCOE), is designed to address the need for grid infrastructure as electricity demand in the region is expected to double by 2050. The framework establishes a structured, forward-looking approach to transmission planning that will support grid reliability and deliver economic benefits for decades to come. 

Virginia Gov. Youngkin guts energy affordability measures passed by the General Assembly and plays politics with Virginia’s energy security 

RICHMOND, VA – Last night, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin introduced poison pill amendments designed to gut several key pieces of legislation the General Assembly passed to bring down costs for Virginia families and businesses.

“Earlier this year, leaders in the General Assembly put forward impactful legislation to expand the role of homes and businesses in the clean energy transition and to allow these projects to help keep the lights on and lower energy bills. Virginia needs leaders who take the job of policymaking seriously and use the positions they have been entrusted with to address the challenges faced by their constituents and the Commonwealth as whole. Rather than taking the opportunity to lead by signing these bills into law, Governor Youngkin instead took the opportunity to engage in partisan politics,” said United Virginia Policy Lead and Legislative Director Jim Purekal. 

Budget included policies to accelerate clean energy deployment like Sales Tax Exemption for Commercial Energy Storage and Grid-Enhancing Technologies 

ALBANY, NY – Today, the New York State Legislature passed their 2026 budget, and cost-saving clean energy measures were front and center. Industry advocates applauded the FY2026 Executive Budget as a major step forward in supporting New York’s clean energy transition. The budget included, but was not limited to, funding for electric school buses, expanded residential solar tax credits, funding for geothermal, green affordable pre-electrification, aSales Tax Exemption for commercial energy storage systems, and support for Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) and Advanced Conductors. 

SB 5995 aims to modernize the grid and lower costs for consumers  

ALBANY, NY – Today, New York Senator Leroy Comrie introduced legislation, Senate Bill 5995, to integrate New York’s gas and electric energy planning process and save consumers money – ensuring our utilities are making only the investments that are most cost-effective, forward-thinking, and aligned with the state’s clean energy goals. Under the bill, Public Service Commission (PSC) must establish an integrated energy system planning protocol that considers both gas and electric system investments together to preventwasteful and unnecessary spending, protect against over-or under-building, maximize efficiency, and ensure grid reliability at the lowest possible cost to ratepayers. 

The Utility’s Proposal Falls Short on Clean Energy Goals, Puts Ratepayers At Risk 

RICHMOND, VA – Today, Advanced Energy United filed the testimony of our expert witness in Dominion Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan highlighting the utility’s failure to properly include all advanced energy options in its electricity supply portfolio for the next 15 years. 

“The technology exists today to serve all of Dominion’s forecasted load with clean energy resources and Dominion’s plan as filed not only misses the goals of the Virginia General Assembly’s landmark Virginia Clean Economy Act, the utility proposal is a failure for the ratepayers of Virginia who will be locked into fossil fuel plants subject to volatile natural gas prices for years to come,” said Shawn Kelly, United’s Director of Regulatory Policy for the Eastern States. 

PJM’s inability to quickly connect new large-scale energy sources to the grid cost consumers $7 billion in latest capacity auction, found new Grid Strategies analysis 

WASHINGTON, DC – Electricity prices across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest are set to soar, but a new analysis finds that consumer electricity costs could have been reduced by as much as $7 billion dollars in PJM Interconnection’s latest capacity auction had the grid operator’s interconnection process been working more efficiently to bring needed supply online to match demand. 

The finding comes from a new analysis from the consulting firm Grid Strategies, “Penny-wise and pound foolish:PJM’s Capacity Auction Demonstrates the Cost Imperative of Simplified and Speedy Interconnection.” The report was prepared for national business association Advanced Energy United, and explores PJM as a specific case study of a broader national trend. 

A pair of bipartisan energy bills are on their way to the Governor’s desk for signature 

RICHMOND, VA – Today the Virginia General Assembly passed two critical energy bills—S.B. 1040 and S.B. 1100—marking a major step forward in expanding clean, reliable, and affordable energy solutions for the Commonwealth.

• S.B. 1040, which passed the House unanimously (97-0), expands access to distributed generation (DG), ensuring more Virginians can benefit from local, customer-owned clean energy resources like rooftop solar. The bill also removes the size requirement for solar and wind projects to qualify for third-party power purchase agreements, making the technology more affordable to more people.
• S.B. 1100 concerns virtual power plants (VPPs) and it requires Dominion Energy to propose a pilot program to test technologies that help manage electricity demand. The program will study how VPPs can support the power grid, especially during times of high energy use, and whether they can reduce the need for additional grid capacity.