Canary Media reports on California's Demand Side Grid Support (DSGS) program, facing over $100 million in proposed budget cuts, putting the future of virtual power plants at risk. United's Edson Perez cautioned that repeated funding cuts undermines California's efforts to keep the lights on during grid emergencies.
Topics: State Policy, United In The News, California, Edson Perez, Virtual Power Plants
SB 540 now heads to the Assembly, continuing the momentum for greater collaboration across the West
SACRAMENTO, CA— The California Senate passed Senate Bill 540 today with a bipartisan vote. National business association Advanced Energy United, along with a diverse set of coalition partners, is encouraged by the continued momentum on this issue.
Topics: Press Releases, Western RTO, California, Edson Perez
RTO Insider reports on SB 540, the Pathways Bill, passing the California Senate and advancing to the Assembly. United's Edson Perez is quoted emphasizing that joining a Western regional energy market is essential to keeping energy costs under control while continuing California's clean energy leadership.
Topics: State Policy, United In The News, Western RTO, California, Edson Perez
AB 740 aimed at implementing Virtual Power Plant projects statewide at scale.
SACRAMENTO, CA— Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) could save Californians $550 million per year in energy costs —$500 million of which could go directly to customers who participate, and another $50 million in system-wide ratepayer savings. VPPs are networks of distributed energy resources, such as smart thermostats, home batteries, and electric vehicles, that work together to shift demand and deliver clean, affordable, and reliable power to the grid.
AB 740, authored by Assemblymember John Harabedian, would accelerate the deployment of virtual power plants (VPPs). The bill directs the California Energy Commission to study the potential of VPPs and develop a statewide implementation plan to deploy VPPs at scale.
Topics: Press Releases, California, Edson Perez
AB 44, a bill designed to streamline utility use of distributed energy resources, passed the California Assembly with bipartisan support
SACRAMENTO, CA— California homes and businesses are one step closer to achieving lower energy bills as the State Assembly passed Assembly Bill (AB) 44 with bipartisan support. AB 44, authored by Assemblymember Nick Schultz, is designed to lower energy costs and improve grid reliability by streamlining processes for utilities to use demand-side technologies like virtual power plants (VPPs) to reduce electricity use during peak demand.
Topics: Press Releases, California, Edson Perez
Budget revision invests in key programs, but lacks vision that risks undermining the state’s affordability and reliability goals
SACRAMENTO, CA— In the face of rising electricity costs, growing reliability challenges, and ambitious climate goals, California needs to invest in building a more modern, flexible, and resilient electricity grid. While the May Revision to the 2025–26 state budget maintains some investments in critical programs that help ensure affordable, reliable energy, it falls short of the broader vision needed to unlock customer-driven cost-saving energy solutions, empower customers, and reduce dependence on costly, polluting resources.
Topics: Press Releases, California, Edson Perez
Judiciary Committee passes SB 540 11 to 0 vote with new amendments that further safeguard California’s clean energy leadership and consumer protections
SACRAMENTO, CA—The Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 540 by a vote of 11 to 0, advancing legislation that continues to balance diverse stakeholder priorities while creating a pathway to reliable and affordable clean energy. SB 540 creates a framework for regional energy coordination that expands clean energy deployment, preserves California’s clean energy goals, and protects state authority.
Topics: Press Releases, Leah Rubin Shen, Western RTO, California
RTO Insider reports on the Pathways Bill, SB 540, as it advances through the Judiciary Committee with new amendments aimed at protecting California’s clean energy leadership, addressing federal overreach, and ensuring continued stakeholder engagement. United's Leah Rubin Shen voiced support of SB 540, noting that the bill balances diverse stakeholder interests while strengthening regional collaboration.
Topics: United In The News, Leah Rubin Shen, Western RTO, California
Virtual power plant bills, Assembly Bills 740 and 44, advance in committee, now head to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SACRAMENTO, CA—Today, the California Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee passed two bills unanimously that would encourage the use of cleaner, faster, and more affordable power to meet the state's peak electricity demand. Both bills help support Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), which are made up of small-scale energy resources found in homes and businesses, like smart thermostats, home batteries, and electric vehicles. These resources can shift, store, and deliver clean energy during times of peak demand, reducing stress on the grid.
Topics: Press Releases, California, Edson Perez, Virtual Power Plants
A big step toward unlocking affordable, reliable energy while accelerating clean energy deployment
SACRAMENTO, CA— This evening, the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 540, marking a key step forward in lowering costs for ratepayers, keeping the lights on, and accelerating the state’s transition to clean energy.
Topics: Press Releases, Western RTO, California, Edson Perez