Recent federal decisions have introduced turbulence across the advanced energy landscape, redefining tax credit eligibility, shifting market signals, and compressing timelines for advanced energy deployment. But with disruption comes opportunity. 

At Advanced Energy United, we know that the most decisive energy progress is happening in the states and regions where market barriers are being removed, deployment is accelerating, and policy decisions directly shape opportunity. That focus was central to our recent webinar, “From Federal Fallout to Opportunity: The Path Forward for the Advanced Energy Industry,” which highlighted how United is turning state and regional advocacy into tangible market wins for our members and the industry at large. 

Moderated by Amisha Rai, Senior Vice President of Advocacy, the conversation featured insights from Harry Godfrey, Managing Director of our Federal Priorities work, and state-level strategy from Matt Boms, Executive Director of Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (United’s state affiliate). Together, the panel translated federal policy changes into business strategy, pinpointing the state-level actions companies can take now to capture emerging opportunities.

Understanding H.R. 1 and Its Impacts 

Harry Godfrey opened the conversation with a detailed look at the federal policy shifts resulting from the passage of H.R. 1, a broad reconciliation package that introduced significant changes to tax policy, including provisions affecting clean energy incentives. While several core tax credits remained intact, wind and solar developers now face compressed timelines, with credit eligibility tied to accelerated construction or in-service deadlines. At the same time, manufacturers are navigating new “foreign entity of concern” (FEOC) restrictions that introduce added complexity into financing and supply chains, particularly for companies sourcing internationally. 

While these changes do not amount to a repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), they mark a significant recalibration of the federal policy environment. Accelerated phase-outs, new compliance thresholds, and heightened scrutiny are adding layers of complexity across the industry. 

Why States Hold the Key 

Following this federal-level overview, the conversation turned to where companies can find the greatest momentum today. Amisha Rai emphasized a core message: States and regions are now the center of gravity for advanced energy deployment.  

“Affordability and reliability are the new currency,” she shared. Whether it’s Indiana or California, decisionmakers are focused on solutions that can meet near-term energy demands and lower costs for consumers. Energy affordability was a growing challenge even before the federal rollback of tax credits, which are predicted to drive up electricity prices even further. As the impacts of these rollbacks are felt, there will be pressure on state leaders to take action to protect residents from these cost increases. 

This creates a powerful opportunity for companies driving the energy transition. States are searching for fast, cost-effective ways to meet demand, and advanced energy solutions are often the answer. That’s where United delivers value: with a deep bench of policy experts, regional affiliates, and a strategy laser-focused on deployment, we help our members navigate regulatory complexity and unlock real market opportunity. 

Texas as A Blueprint for Advanced Energy Deployment 

As a prime example of United’s strategy in action, Matt Boms shared a success story from Texas—a leader in renewables deployment. 

Through targeted policy engagement and coalition building, United’s state affiliate—the Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (TAEBA)—has helped shift the narrative and deliver real market outcomes. TAEBA has played a central role in advancing a suite of policies that collectively strengthen grid resilience, expand clean energy adoption, and open the market to more diverse energy solutions.  

Key wins include: 

• Streamlining permitting for backup power systems through legislation like SB 1202 and SB 1252, which simplify the process for deploying behind-the-meter and distributed energy resources—especially critical in a state that has faced repeated grid emergencies. 

• Coordinating demand-side resources through the newly created Texas Energy Waste Advisory Committee, ensuring that efficiency, demand response, and flexible load solutions are fully integrated into the state’s planning and reliability framework. 

• Securing major investment in resilience via a $1.8 billion backup power grant program to support critical facilities like hospitals, water infrastructure, and emergency response centers, demonstrating that advanced energy and reliability go hand in hand. 

• Protecting market access for wind, solar, and storage by beating back harmful legislation that would have distorted energy markets and penalized renewable providers. 

The result? Wind and solar now consistently provide more than 50% of Texas’s peak summer electricity, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has emerged as the fastest-growing market for battery energy storage in the country—achieved without mandates or centralized planning. It’s a clear demonstration that affordability, resilience, and innovation are values that resonate across the political spectrum. When advanced energy solutions are framed around those principles—and backed by credible, sustained advocacy—they succeed. 

This story doesn’t belong to Texas alone and provides a blueprint for state-level progress nationwide.

Build It. Make It Flexible. Make It Affordable. 

As previewed on the webinar, United is developing a policy playbook resource, designed to help members and partners replicate this kind of impact in other priority states. 

This upcoming resource and our strategy at large are focused on three core pillars: 

• Build It: Accelerate projects that can meet the compressed federal incentive timelines now in place, build and grow stable and predictable advanced energy markets in the states and regions with reforms related to siting, permitting, interconnection, and procurement, and increase transmission capacity to unlock more advanced generation. 

• Make It Flexible: Increase distribution grid capacity and efficiency by scaling distributed energy resources (DERs), virtual power plants (VPPs), and demand-side and electrification solutions to get more out of our existing grid infrastructure, prepare the grid for new loads, and enhance reliability and affordability. 

• Make It Affordable: Ensure that our electric utilities and Public Utility Commissions are planning and delivering the right types of energy investment at least-cost, and that states are identifying alternative and non-rate financing for projects both big and small. 

This strategy is already influencing policy agendas in key states and will be especially critical as 38 gubernatorial elections shape state energy priorities over the next 18 months. We look forward to sharing more details soon—and to continuing to help our members lead the energy transition with confidence and clarity.  

Final Takeaway 

The path forward for advanced energy is clear—and it runs through the states. While federal rollbacks have introduced new challenges, these shifts have underscored the importance of strategic, state-level action to shape markets, accelerate deployment, and deliver real results. As Texas has shown, meaningful progress is possible in every corner of the country when smart policy meets determined advocacy. Now is the time for energy innovators, advocates, and policymakers to align around solutions that work—for the grid, for consumers, and for the future. 

If your organization is ready to engage where it matters most, we invite you to join United and shape the policies, partnerships, and markets defining the future of advanced energy in America. 

Missed the conversation? Download the recording to hear how your company can stay ahead in this evolving landscape: