Associated Press reports on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)'s approval of rules aimed at improving long-term regional planning for high-voltage interstate electric transmission lines. The article quotes United President and CEO Heather O'Neill, who voiced support for the rulemaking and emphasized the need for the buildout of more multi-state transmission lines to keep up with our growing energy needs.
Topics: Wholesale Markets, United In The News, FERC, Heather O'Neill, Transmission
FERC Order No. 1920 will improve transmission planning and make it easier for states to improve their transmission grid
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) voted to approve new rules aimed at improving long-term regional planning for high-voltage interstate electric transmission lines.
“Families and businesses are paying the price for utilities’ and grid operators’ failure to address our critical electricity infrastructure needs,” said Heather O’Neill, President and CEO at national business association Advanced Energy United. "Building more multi-state transmission lines unclogs the traffic jams on America’s electricity superhighways and unlocks our ability to keep up with our growing energy needs. This FERC Order sends the message that transmission planning needs to change, and recognizes that states deserve a central role in ensuring a reliable electric grid built for the future.”
Among the critical changes FERC says it is addressing in the rule are:
“The current piecemeal approach to building transmission is causing us to miss out on affordable energy that could be improving reliability and lowering electricity bills,” said O’Neill. “The fix is for states to forge regional and interregional solutions so we can get steel in the ground and build the transmission grid we need. These new regulatory tools require a more robust planning process and reflect the need for states to have a bigger voice in that process.”
Transmission lines are large wires that move electricity from where it’s created to where it’s used, often over long distances. The DOE National Transmission Needs Study estimates that in order to meet growing demand by 2035 the U.S. must more than double the existing regional transmission capacity and expand existing interregional transmission capacity by more than fivefold. In 2022, grid congestioncost consumers roughly $20 billion.
“States, utilities, grid operators, and the advanced energy industry all have a stake in making the grid more reliable, and it’s critical they come together to ensure that compliance with this Order results in a transmission system that delivers affordable electricity and supports economic growth,” said Caitlin Marquis, Managing Director at Advanced Energy United overseeing engagement with wholesale markets and FERC.
The FERC Order is one important tool to address one challenge to transmission, and Advanced Energy United looks forward to engaging with stakeholders to continue advocating for a more robust, reliable, and affordable grid.
Advanced Energy United leads a coalition called Transmission Possible, which provides nonpartisan resources to educate the public about how transmission works and why it’s so critical to keeping the lights on.
Click here to learn more about Advanced Energy United's work engaging with FERC and advocating for the expansion of wholesale markets.
Topics: Wholesale Markets, Press Releases, Caitlin Marquis, FERC, Heather O'Neill, Transmission
Canary Media reports on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new rules pushing utilities to retrofit fossil-fuel plants with new technologies or swap them out for clean energy alternatives, quoting United's President and CEO Heather O'Neill on the opportunity the rules present for utilities to pivot to advanced energy solutions.
On Thursday, the Biden administration issued rules to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and pollution from U.S. power plants, while top officials weighed in with an important message: Clean energy is more than ready to supplant the fossil-fueled power plants the new regulations are intended to curb.
The long-awaited rules, the result of nearly a year of work at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will require individual states to craft plans for ensuring that coal-fired plants slated to stay open past 2039 control 90 percent of their carbon pollution from 2032 onward. Newly built “baseload” fossil-gas-fired power plants that operate more than 40 percent of the year must do the same.
Topics: Federal Policy, United In The News, Heather O'Neill
Advanced Energy United calls on utilities to switch to more affordable and reliable tools for powering the U.S. electric grid
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced newly finalized emissions regulations for existing coal-fired power plants and new gas plants. Advanced Energy United, the national association of businesses united in their mission to achieve 100% clean energy and electrified transportation in America, expressed support for the regulations and called on utilities to do right by ratepayers by embracing cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable solutions for powering the electric grid.
Topics: Federal Policy, EPA GHG Regs, Press Releases, Heather O'Neill
The New York Times reports on a recent boom in electricity demand in the U.S. that is putting pressure on conventional gas power plants, quoting United's CEO and President Heather O'Neill on the variety of options available for utilities to meet rising demand.
Critics say that regulated utilities often default to building gas plants because it’s a familiar technology and because, in many states, they earn a guaranteed profit from capital projects. They don’t always have the same incentive to adopt energy-efficiency programs that reduce sales or to plan transmission lines that can import cheaper wind power from elsewhere.
Topics: United In The News, Energy Efficiency, New York, Heather O'Neill
In an opinion piece featured in NJ Spotlight News, United's President and CEO Heather O'Neill writes about the storm of challenges the offshore wind industry faced in the last few post-pandemic year and highlights four key steps to getting the industry back to full power.
After a turbulent 2023, the new year brought some welcome news for the offshore wind industry. Power started to flow from New York’s South Fork Wind and Massachusetts’ Vineyard Wind soon followed suit, meaning that America’s first large-scale projects are now sending clean electricity to its shores for the first time. Meanwhile in New Jersey, the state granted two offshore wind solicitation awards in January, totaling 3,742 megawatts of capacity, enough to power 1.8 million homes when fully operational.
Topics: United In The News, New York, Heather O'Neill, Offshore Wind, Massachusetts, New Jersey
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 23, 2023 – National business group Advanced Energy United (United) announced that Megan Beauregard, Chief Legal Officer and Head of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at Enel North America, was elected Chair of United’sBoard of Directors. A longtime Leader-level member of United, Enel North America is committed to tackling climate change by electrifying the economy and making a net-zero carbon future possible in the United States and Canada.As Chairof the Board of Directors, Beauregard will support United’s mission of expanding the advanced energy industry in the U.S., which grew to nearly $375 billion in 2022, and accelerating America’s transition to a 100% clean energy future.
Topics: Press Releases, Heather O'Neill, United Updates
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.
Topics: United In The News, Heather O'Neill
NPR reflects on the first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, quoting Advanced Energy United's President & CEO Heather O'Neill on how the landmark legislation and related policy reforms are driving the transition to 100% clean energy.
A year ago, Sonia Aggarwal watched from home as the votes came in on the U.S. Senate floor. Aggarwal was working as a White House aide, advising the Biden administration on climate policy. She'd been up all night, listening as senators debated legislation she and many others had spent more than a year trying to pass.
With that vote, the country's most significant climate legislation made it through the U.S. Senate, a body that had stymied previous efforts for decades. The bill went on to clear the U.S. House, and made its way to President Biden for his signature on Aug. 16, 2022.
Topics: Federal Policy, United In The News, Heather O'Neill
America’s $374 billion advanced energy industry poised for accelerated growth thanks in part to the Inflation Reduction Act
WASHINGTON, DC, August 16, 2023 – A year after its signing, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is working as intended, fueling a new era of investment in domestic advanced energy manufacturing and empowering the growth of the technologies and services America needs to secure a 100% clean energy future.
The recently published Market Reportby Advanced Energy United found that the advanced energy industry – made up of several sectors including building efficiency, advanced transportation, electricity distribution and generation, and advanced fuel production – grew by 14% in market size from 2021 to 2022, up to $374 billion. Those figures have the potential to be dwarfed by the growth stemming from the investments fueled by the IRA. Combined with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021, the IRA is expected to lead to roughly $444 billion in federal investment and $1.2 trillion in private investment, resulting in $2.8 trillion in total GDP, 23 million jobs, and $60 billion in annual consumer savings – all told, a six-fold return in investment in federal dollars in advanced energy growth.
To celebrate the moment, Advanced Energy United President and CEO Heather O’Neill released the following statement, anticipating the next era of policies needed to reach our clean energy goals:
Topics: Federal Policy, Press Releases, Heather O'Neill