News

PV Magazine reports on the election results from Virginia and New Jersey, with a specific focus on unlocking new clean energy opportunities by making better use of existing interconnection capacity. United’s Virginia Director Jim Purekal emphasized that Virginia must make the most of existing energy resources to meet rising load growth, while United’s New Jersey Policy Lead Katie Mettle highlighted the need for siting and permitting reforms to get more projects online faster.

In Virginia, it's more important than ever to quickly build and site new energy projects in the wake of H.R. 1, which could slow the pace of investment and development in critically needed initiatives. WHRO spoke with industry experts, including United’s Jim Purekal, who urged state leaders to keep costs low for ratepayers and highlighted solar as the most cost-effective form of energy generation available.

Virginia's State Corporation Commission conditionally approved Dominion Energy's proposed 15-year energy plan, but noted that it fails to address Virginia's statutory requirement for 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045. Canary Media spoke with United's Shawn Kelly, who stated that the proposal must support a reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy future by making use of proven advanced energy solutions, such as energy efficiency and battery storage.

In an opinion piece for the Virginia Mercury, United's Jim Purekal underscores the importance of federal tax credits in modernizing Hampton Roads' energy systems, lowering electricity costs for residents, and bolstering energy security across the region. He calls on policymakers to safeguard these incentives going forward, which are essential to developing advanced energy projects and maintaining an affordable, reliable, and secure energy future for Virginians. 

Dominion Energy's recent plan to meet increased load growth ignores Virginia's 2045 mandate—established under the Virginia Clean Economy Act—to deliver 100% carbon-free electricity. United's Shawn Kelly spoke with Canary Media about the plan, noting that it limits the usage of proven, cost-effective advanced energy technologies (including wind, solar, demand response, and virtual power plants) to meet growing demand within the state.

In an op-ed for Cardinal News, United's Morgan Pinnell discusses the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which has catalyzed tremendous economic and environmental benefits throughout the state. Looking ahead, she calls for renewed leadership to streamline interconnection, permitting, and efficiency efforts in order to scale up renewable deployment and keep Virginia on track toward its clean energy goals.