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New Initiative Will Provide States With Federal Tools to Upgrade Electric Grid

Posted by Adam Winer on May 28, 2024

White House and DOE announcement will help support deployment of GETs 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the White House and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a new Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment Initiative aimed at bolstering America’s power grid by using tools like grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) and doing advanced reconductoring. Joining the Initiative are 21 inaugural states that have agreed to partner with the federal government to speed improvements to the power system.

“At a moment when our electric grid has been neglected, and the demand for energy is on the rise, we must make immediate grid upgrades while we also plan for more long-range transmission lines,” said Verna Mandez, Director of Transmission at Advanced Energy United. “There’s a whole suite of proven, reliable, and cost-effective technological innovations able to make our electric grids do more with less. If we don’t use these proven technologies right away, consumers will be left paying more for a less reliable energy system.”

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Topics: Federal Policy, Press Releases, Transmission, Verna Mandez

U.S. DOE Announces Communities Poised to Benefit from Transmission Corridors Program

Posted by Adam Winer on May 8, 2024

A lack of electric transmission is harming or may soon harm households and businesses across the country

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a preliminary list of 10 potential National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs) to accelerate the development of transmission projects in areas that have an urgent need for expanded transmission. DOE is now seeking public input on the process. 

“As America’s energy needs grow, the backbone of the energy system needs to grow with it,” said Verna Mandez, Director of Advanced Energy United’s transmission program. “Transmission is how we get affordable electricity from where it’s made to where it’s needed so we can keep the lights on and lower energy bills.” 

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Topics: Federal Policy, Press Releases, Transmission, Verna Mandez

RTO Insider: Transmission Coalition to Fight for Expanded Grid

Posted by James Downing on Jan 31, 2024

RTO Insider  reports on the newly launched Transmission Possible campaign, launched by Advanced Energy United and a coalition of partners.  The article quotes United's Verna Mandez, who shares that the campaign seeks to address America's growing energy needs by supporting efforts to build new transmission lines and improve existing infrastructure.
 

A new coalition called Transmission Possible launched Jan. 25 to support local, state and federal efforts to expand transmission, while a recent paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) put some numbers on an issue that has often complicated those efforts.

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Topics: United In The News, Transmission, Verna Mandez

‘Transmission Possible’ Campaign Launched to Push for Expansion and Upgrades to National Transmission Infrastructure

Posted by Adam Winer on Jan 29, 2024

New campaign will educate state leaders across the country, and support state policies

WASHINGTON, DC — Today a coalition of business leaders, clean energy advocates, and environmental organizations launched “Transmission Possible,” a new campaign to build support at the local, state, and federal levels for upgrading America’s energy transmission infrastructure. Transmission Possible is led by the industry association Advanced Energy United and includes the American Council on Renewable Energy, Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, the National Wildlife Federation, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, and the Northeast Clean Energy Council.

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Topics: State Policy, Press Releases, Transmission, Verna Mandez

Utility Dive: Grassroots buy-in will be vital to transmission buildout, say clean energy experts

Posted by Diana DiGangi on Jun 22, 2023

Utility Dive examines the role grassroots can play in leading the nation through its transmission obstacles, quoting Verna Mandez on the need for states to take more initiative.

As clean energy production ramps up, transmission reform is becoming a major priority for the renewables industry. Tens of thousands of megawatts of wind and solar capacity are in the interconnection queue, waiting to be able to connect to the grid.

The debt ceiling agreement reached by Congress and the White House earlier this month contained reforms to permitting, but not transmission. It instead requires the North American Electric Reliability Corp., or NERC, to study interregional transmission capacity needs between regions over 18 months.

“That will take time, it will take at least two years for that study to be completed,” Kasotia said in an interview. “So, personally, I do believe it’s going to delay meaningful action on transmission reform. I felt it was not a genuine request to address the transmission understanding or transmission knowledge that congressional members don’t have.”

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Topics: United In The News, Transmission, Verna Mandez

UtilityDive: Advanced Energy United Warns Frameworks Needed for Transmission Buildout ‘Don’t Really Exist’

Posted by Diana DiGangi on Apr 11, 2023

Utility Dive outlines Advanced Energy United's request to FERC to strengthen its transmission reform plan, quoting Verna Mandez on the importance of legal and procedural frameworks for cooperation on transmission systems.

With some exceptions such as a New York-New Jersey collaboration, states and regional transmission authorities are making their own interests a priority, said Verna Mandez, the group’s transmission campaign director. A new Department of Energy study found “a significant need” for interregional transmission between almost all regions of the U.S.

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Topics: United In The News, Verna Mandez

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