News

E&E News reports that the Bonneville Power Administration has opted to join the Southwest Power Pool's Markets+ day-ahead market instead of the California Independent System Operator's Extended Day Ahead Market, a decision with major implications for the Western power grid's future. United's Leah Rubin Shen condemned the move, cautioning that it risks creating a fragmented market structure, increasing costs, and reducing grid reliability.  

RTO Insider reports on Bonneville Power Administration's decision to join Southwest Power Pool's Markets+ day-ahead market over California Independent System Operator's Extended Day Ahead Market, a move that will impact the future of Western electricity markets. United’s Leah Rubin Shen criticized the decision as premature and warned that it could entrench costly market seams and inefficiencies and undermine efforts to build a unified Western grid. 

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. 

Big Pivots reports on two energy bills in Colorado, one being Senate Bill 25-127, which encourages investor-owned utilities to deploy advanced transmission technologies to strengthen the state's electric transmission system. United's Leah Rubin Shen calls this bill a "no-regrets" solution that can improve reliability, prevent power outages, and save ratepayers money.

RTO Insider reports that California state lawmakers have introduced a bill (SB 540) to implement "Step 2" of the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative. United's Leah Rubin Shen highlighted the reliability and cost-saving benefits of sharing resources across the West, commending the Pathways Launch Committee for their support of the bill.

RTO Insider reports on the Step 2 bill of the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative, which aims to modify CAISO’s governance structure by creating an independent regional organization (RO) to oversee the Western Energy Imbalance Market and Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM). United's Brian Turner and Leah Rubin Shen emphasized that the bill should strictly enable CAISO’s participation in a regional market without imposing California’s clean energy policies on other states.

The Nevada Independent reports on President Trump's executive order to halt all Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) disbursements. United's Leah Rubin Shen warns that this freeze will hurt families, small businesses, and local economies.

Big Pivots reports that Colorado has established itself as a national leader in the energy transition, but emphasizes the need for continued efforts to sustain its momentum. The article quotes United's Leah Rubin Shen, who highlights the state's leadership in distribution system planning. 

Big Pivots discusses the potential impacts of the 2024 election on Colorado's decarbonization goals in an interview with several clean energy experts, including United's Leah Rubin Shen, who highlights Colorado’s robust policies and strategic use of federal funds, emphasizing that the state is well-positioned to continue advancing its decarbonization efforts as planned.