News

The Los Angeles Times reports on the close of the California 2025 legislative session and Governor Gavin Newsom's veto of AB 740, a bill that would have directed the state’s energy agencies to create an implementation plan for virtual power plants. The article quotes United's Edson Perez, who called the veto a huge missed opportunity that would have lowered costs. 

Canary Media reports that Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a series of virtual power plant bills, AB 44, AB 740, and SB 541, despite strong bipartisan support in the California legislature. The article quotes United's Edson Perez, who said this was a huge missed opportunity to tap the value of rooftop solar, batteries, and EVs that could cut costs and boost grid reliability.

POLITICO reports on Governor Gavin Newsom vetoing AB 44, a bill that would have streamlined how utilities use distributed energy resources (DERs) and take advantage of existing VPP programs. The article quotes United's Edson Perez, who said that this was a huge missed opportunity to advance common-sense policy that would have lowered costs, strengthened the grid, and unlocked the full potential of advanced energy.

California lawmakers passed two virtual power plant (VPP) bills—AB 44 and AB 740—that now await Governor Newsom's signature, reports PV Magazine. United's Edson Perez spoke to the benefits of VPPs in reducing grid strain, lowering energy costs, and increasing grid reliability, urging Governor Newsom to sign the bills into law.

Canary Media reports that Assembly Bills 740 and 44 continue to advance with provisions to expand virtual power plant programs in California, while last-minute amendments stripped away key provisions from Senate Bill 541. United's Edson Perez warned that California can’t afford to sideline tools that make the grid cleaner, more resilient, and more affordable. 

Latitude Media reports that Ørsted's Revolution Wind project, nearly complete but stalled by the Trump administration's stop-work order, should serve as a warning for the entire advanced energy industry. United's Kat Burnham spoke about the need for developers to engage at the state and regional levels, and for state leaders to step up to defend the industry and keep individual projects moving.

In an opinion piece for the Santa Cruz Sentinel, United’s Leah Rubin Shen urges the California legislature to pass Senate Bill 540, which would allow California to join a West-wide regional energy market this year. She warns that failing to act could leave California isolated from the rest of the West. The benefits of joining such a market would save ratepayers $1B annually, improve grid reliability during extreme weather, and make better use of existing clean energy resources.

In an interview with Paul Gerke from Factor This, United's Kat Burnham discusses the repercussions of the Trump administration's order to halt construction on Rhode Island's Revolution Wind project. She encourages state leaders to step up to meet climate and energy reliability goals as federal support decreases. 

As California's 2025 legislative session comes to a close, state lawmakers have several advanced energy bills to consider. United's Edson Perez spoke with POLITICO about how, if passed, these bills could increase affordability, expand access to renewables, and modernize the state's overall grid.

Inside Climate News reports on continuing concerns over demand in the PJM Interconnection region, including a possible push for re-regulation. United's Amisha Rai joined experts in pushing back, defending competitive markets and encouraging states to press grid operators to make improvements that ensure lower costs for consumers.