As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House next year, the drive to maintain America's clean energy transition will rely heavily on the leadership of individual states. Inside Climate News interviews clean energy experts and advocates, including United's Morgan Pinnell, who believe that Maryland is primed to lead the clean energy transition and spoke to the potential impacts a second Trump term could have on advanced energy solutions across the state.
Topics: United In The News, Maryland, Morgan Pinnell
Renewable Energy World reports Maryland State Senator Ron Watson and five state delegates released a joint statement condemning the recent spikes in electricity prices within the PJM territory. The article cites United’s Generator Interconnection Scorecard, which assigned PJM with a “D-,” one of the worst scores across the nation, for its management of generation interconnection.
Topics: Wholesale Markets, United In The News, Maryland
Electricity capacity prices skyrocketed 900% in latest auction
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Today, Maryland State Senator Ron Watson and Maryland Delegates Adrian Boafo, Lorig Charkoudian, David Fraser-Hidalgo, and Natalie Ziegler released a joint statement on the skyrocketing electricity prices announced last week byMaryland’s electric grid operator, PJM. Prices in its annual capacity auction rose over 900 percent, from $28.92 per megawatt-day to $269.92. The price increase was most significant in Maryland, rising to $466.35. Next June, most Maryland ratepayers will likely see electricity bill increases well over 30 percent.
These prices are driven in large part by the grid operator’s years-long issues in getting more generating resources connected to the grid. At the end of 2023, PJM had 3,309 projects – mostly solar and battery storage – waiting to connect to the grid and provide cheaper power to the region. PJM earned a national-worst “D-” in a recent scorecard from Advanced Energy United of all grid operator interconnection processes earlier this year, with developers forced to wait longer in PJM than any other region in the country. These clean energy projects together have enough capacity to replace all the generation currently operating in the PJM system, even after planned fossil fuel plant retirements. Because of this backlog, new renewable projects cannot even apply to bring power to Maryland consumers until 2026.
Topics: Advanced Transportation, Press Releases, Transmission, Maryland
In an opinion piece forThe Baltimore Sun, United's Shawn Kelly discusses the urgent need for Maryland to shift away from natural gas pipelines towards clean energy solutions to combat the utility rate spiral and align with the state's climate goals.
Topics: United In The News, Maryland, Shawn Kelly
Power Grid International reports on Maryland's new law requiring electric utility companies to allow vehicle-to-grid systems to interconnect to the state’s electric distribution network, quoting United's Nick Bibby on the significance of the passing in the state's effort to prepare its grid for electric vehicles.
The Maryland General Assembly has passed a law that would create a bidirectional EV charging program aimed at allowing EVs to not only draw power from the grid, but also supply electricity back, effectively turning EVs into mobile energy storage units.
Topics: United In The News, Electric Vehicles, Maryland, Nick Bibby
The DRIVE Act paves the way for advancements in electric vehicle and grid integration, and bolsters Maryland’s energy resiliency
ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Distributed Renewable Integration and Vehicle Electrification (DRIVE) Act (H.B. 1256) was passed by the Maryland General Assembly last night and is now poised to modernize the state’s energy management and grid preparedness. Advanced Energy United, a national business association representing over 100 businesses including transmission developers, electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers, and charging infrastructure providers, gave written testimony in support of the legislation to the House Economic Matters Committee earlier this legislative session.
“The DRIVE Act shows that Maryland is serious about getting its electric grid ready for an electrified future,” said Nick Bibby, Maryland State Lead for Advanced Energy United. “This legislation will help residents and businesses tap into the unique capabilities of clean energy resources and electric vehicles to lower energy costs and support the resiliency of the electric grid.”
Topics: Advanced Transportation, Press Releases, Electric Vehicles, Maryland, Nick Bibby
From Maine to Virginia, state authorities and grid operators are scrambling to expand transmission grids ahead of a surge in offshore wind deployment.
Power authorities are looking to connect at least 20 offshore wind projects in the U.S. Northeast, many of which aim to start producing power by 2030. The Biden administration aims to complete environmental reviews of at least 16 projects by 2025 and install 30 GW by the end of the decade.
Topics: United In The News, Kat Burnham, New York, Maryland, New England, New Jersey
The POWER Act will accelerate the clean energy transition, ensure the construction of transmission lines, and create quality jobs in Maryland
ANNAPOLIS, Md., April 10, 2023 – Today, national business association Advanced Energy United celebrated the Maryland General Assembly’s passage of the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources Act (SB781/HB793), known as the POWER Act. Advanced Energy United represents the full range of technologies and services needed for 100% clean energy in Maryland and nationally, ranging from solar installers and EV manufacturers to energy efficiency companies and transmission developers, and more. The legislation, which is expected to be signed by Governor Wes Moore, lays a foundation for offshore wind and transmission line development in Maryland.
Topics: State Policy, Press Releases, Transmission, Maryland, Nicholas Bibby
ANNAPOLIS, Md., March 17, 2023 – The Maryland State Senate is expected to pass the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources Act (POWER Act – SB 781), which would advance offshore wind production in Maryland as well as the transmission infrastructure that is critical to support offshore wind and other new renewable energy sources. Focus will soon turn to the Maryland House of Delegates, where action is expected quickly in the Economic Matters Committee. Advanced Energy United’s Managing Director Nathan Willcox issued the following statement in response:
Topics: Press Releases, Maryland