News

In Texas, companies are pioneering virtual power plant (VPP) initiatives by offering homeowners at-home battery systems through a subscription model that supplies power back to the Texas grid. Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance's (TAEBA's) Matthew Boms spoke to San Antonio Express-News about the benefits of VPPs, encouraging the Texas government to invest in advanced energy technologies to increase grid reliability.

In Texas, Bandera Electric's virtual power plant (VPP) pilot program is utilizing distributed energy resources to bolster the grid and lower energy costs for consumers. Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance's Executive Director Matthew Boms spoke with The Texas Tribune about the many benefits of VPPs in creating a more reliable, affordable, and sustainable grid while meeting growing energy demand.

E&E News identifies key energy topics under consideration in Texas' 2025 legislative session, including new permitting requirements for wind, solar, and battery storage projects. Matthew Boms of Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (United's state affiliate) stated that industry standards are making battery storage safer, encouraging lawmakers to recognize the role batteries have in creating a more reliable and resilient grid.

Texas news station KBTX-TV reports on a recent discussion by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) surrounding the reliability of Texas' power grid ahead of the winter months. Matthew Boms of Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (United's state affiliate) spoke to the impacts of past storms on state residents, emphasizing the need for proactive policies that make energy-efficient solutions more accessible.

Fast Company reports that Texas has become a national leader in the clean energy space, now tied with California as one of the largest employers of advanced energy jobs in the country. Matthew Boms of Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (United's state affiliate) praised Texas' clean energy job growth, highlighting how the state's free-market framework has supported the growth of renewables over two decades.

Texas news station KBTX News 3 reports that the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $360 million in funding for United member company Pattern Energy's Southern Spirit transmission project, which aims to connect the ERCOT grid to other U.S. power grids. The station interviewed Matthew Boms of the Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance, who highlighted the project's potential to lower consumer energy prices and improve overall reliability and efficiency for the Texas energy market.

San Antonio Express-News reports on the growing Texas battery energy storage boom, but some Hill County residents are worried that new battery storage sites will be noisy, increase the risk of fire, and cause environmental damage. The article quotes Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance's (United's state affiliate) Matthew Boms, who spoke to the importance of battery storage sites in the state.

Amid rising energy demands, The New York Times reports that America's biggest oil-producing state, Texas, is increasingly turning to solar power and battery storage to see it through extreme weather over the years. The article quotes Matthew Boms of Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (United's state affiliate), who speaks to Texas' renewable energy potential.

In an opinion piece for the Houston Chronicle, Matthew Boms of Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (United's state affiliate), shares how President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act has transformed Texas' energy portfolio, with Texas now ranking as the nation's wind energy leader and a top state for utility-scale solar.

Matt Boms of Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (TAEBA), Advanced Energy United's Texas entity, is interviewed live on Scripps News' The National Report on July 12 about the impacts Hurricane Beryl had on the Texas power grid. Boms makes the case that Texas utilities should be relying less on centralized power plants and more on distributed resources, like rooftop solar and other aggregated resources, to improve resiliency in the face of extreme weather like hurricanes.