May 9, 2025 

A monthly roundup of activity and progress made towards our mission to transform public policy to accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy. 

2026 Portfolio Planning

Planning for our 2026 Policy Portfolio will take place throughout May and June, where our policy team will be engaging with members to identify the top policy priorities that will guide our work next year. These priorities will be reflected in our fall Member Survey. This year we are streamlining the process by focusing discussions on areas that may need a strategic shift. Most of these conversations will happen during Working Group meetings in early June, with a few topic-specific sessions in May. Please see the Member Engagement section below for details on when your Working Group will be meeting for planning.

Coming Soon: A New Member Portal Experience! 

We’re excited to announce that we’ll be launching a brand-new member portal in early June! This upgraded platform will make it easier than ever for you and your team to access you member engagement benefits and manage your membership in United. Stay tuned for more details—we are excited to bring you a more seamless member experience.

As work around budget reconciliation hits a fever pitch on the Hill, United is out with new resources to help advocate for key tax credit priorities. Over the past 5+ months, we have built a catalogue of tax credit stories and videos from member companies and partners in key states across the country, showing how the credits are creating jobs, cutting electricity bills, and supporting American energy dominance. Now, we’re out with state social media toolkits for members and allies. Download today, share widely on your social platforms. Read more about our latest success stories under the Federal Priorities and Decision-Maker Engagement section.

Arizona Governor Hobbs Vetoes Anti-Advanced Energy Legislation

Following advocacy efforts led by our team, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed HB 2527 and SB 1309, two priority bills we have opposed this session. HB 2527 would have restricted the Arizona Corporation Commission’s ability to approve the retirement of fossil fuel generation unless immediately replaced by equivalent firm power, while SB 1309 would have mandated prioritization of dispatchable generation resources in grid upgrades. Our work included direct engagement with legislators and senior staff for the Governor to share our concerns, as well as a Counterspark (United’s c4 organization) paid media campaign and ultimately formal veto request letters. Meanwhile, SB 1150 — which would eliminate the state’s existing renewable and energy efficiency standards — narrowly passed the House and is now pending a final vote in the Senate, where its fate will likely hinge on whether any Republican senators cross party lines. If it passes, a gubernatorial veto is expected but not guaranteed.

California Energy Commission Approves New Demand Response Option for Emergency Grid Support Program

The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved new Fourth Edition Guidelines on April 10 that includes a new Option 4 (Emergency Load Flexibility Virtual Power Plant Pilot), although customers in PG&E territory are excluded. United has been deeply engaged in fast-moving negotiations since the Guidelines were abruptly removed from consideration at the March 17 CEC Business Meeting due to concerns from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding Option 4. The approval of the Guidelines with PG&E excluded from Option 4 is a compromise to allow the rest of the programs to go forward as quickly as possible, but we are continuing to work toward full resolution of any remaining issues and the eventual eligibility of PG&E customers in Option 4.

Lightning Plan Language Drops in Pennsylvania

Language for Governor Josh Shapiro’s Lightning Plan was released in late April. The Lightning Plan includes Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS) (a revision to its existing AEPS standard, moving to 35% clean energy by 2035), PACER (an act establishing the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Program), the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Siting and Electric Transition (RESET) board (a state-level siting board for generation over 25MW), a bill which would allow for the creation, financing, accessibility and operation of community renewable energy generating facilities, Pennsylvania Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) energy tax credits, and revisions to Act 129 to expand energy efficiency. United will be deeply engaged in advocating for these efforts going forward.

United Submits Testimony in Xcel Just Transition Solicitation Proceeding

United submitted answer testimony in Xcel’s Just Transition Solicitation (CO docket 24A-0442E), along with the Colorado Solar and Storage Association (COSSA) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), our co-intervenors. Our testimony highlighted flaws in the utility’s modeling of aggregated distributed energy resources and supported approving the Carbon Free Future Development Policy (a procurement process for long-lead time resources proposed by the utility), with certain modifications. The testimony from COSSA/SEIA addressed additional issues, including flaws within the solar portfolio, concerns with the resource adequacy study, and ratepayer protections around large load growth. We will submit cross answer testimony in late May, with hearings scheduled for the second and third weeks of June.

Seventeen States and D.C. File Suit to Stop Wind Executive Order

On May 5, 18 attorney generals filed a lawsuit in federal court asserting that the January 20 Presidential Memorandum constitutes an unlawful action that has resulted in the federal government’s failure to issue permits, leases, and other approvals for both offshore and onshore wind projects. The states are seeking an injunction and a declaration that such directives are illegal and should be stopped.

Maryland Legislative Session Closes with Mixed Results

The Maryland legislature wrapped its 2025 session with mixed results on advanced energy priorities. We were able to pass legislation focused on utility transparency in PJM and STRIDE reform and made numerous modifications to the Leadership energy package to include inclusion of key storage and ratepayer provisions. Additionally, the legislature passed The Renewable Energy Certainty Act which seeks to remove red tape and create consistency across municipalities and establishes industry standards for ground-mount solar. Two additional United priorities were tabled in 2025: advanced transmission technologies and distribution system planning. Governor Wes Moore additionally signed an executive order delaying near-term enforcement of ACT/ACC2 in favor of creating a working group to study implementation, which reflects a challenging trend in the electric vehicle space.

Decision on Wisconsin Oak Creek Gas Plant Proposal Expected Soon

The formal proceedings of We Energies’ (WEC) proposal to build a new gas peaker plant have wrapped up and the decision whether to approve the $1.2 billion plant now rests with the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin. United intervened in this case to make the case that WEC could meet demand with cleaner, more efficient and more economical resources for customers. You can read United’s direct testimony, rebuttal, and brief here. United’s Policy Principal Emma Heins published an op-ed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel calling on We Energies to better leverage energy efficiency resources to meet increasing demand in the region. A decision is expected in the coming weeks.

Indiana Legislature Passes Legislation Limiting Local Moratoria on Wind and Solar 

Last week, Senate Enrolled Act 425 passed the House with a vote of 51-40, and the Senate passed it 31-19. The bill makes broad changes to local permitting processes for any kind of development, applying to wind and solar permitting processes. Senate Bill 425 originally proposed project owners of multiple kinds of electric generation facility circumvent getting a local permit or zoning approval if the project was being developed at a shuttered generation facility or at the site of an abandoned mine. However, before Senate passage, wind and solar were removed from the list of qualifying technologies. The enrolled act now contains language designed to limit local moratoriums on wind and solar to no more than one year (without the ability to extend it), and to prevent regulations and economic development agreements related to a project from being changed after a permit is approved. Governor Mike Braun is expected to sign the bill in the coming days. Read our bill summary here.

United Advanced Tax Priorities with Congressional Republicans 

United’s team, including United’s CEO and President Heather O’Neill, has been on the Hill throughout April and May meeting with Congressional Republicans to advocate for advanced energy’s tax priorities. Our meetings have focused on public supporters of the tax credits as well as members of the all-important Ways & Means Committee, which is responsible for setting tax policy. This engagement comes as the House committees has started marking up portions of the reconciliation package in the House – with the tax policy mark-up expected as soon as next week.

"Unlocking Advanced Energy" Debuts New Success Stories

United’s Unlocking Advanced Energy site continues to grow, now featuring new videos from Enphase and Rivian that showcase federal tax credits powering local manufacturing and partnerships in Texas, Arizona, and Illinois.

United Hosts Member Roundtables with Leading Candidates for Governor in New Jersey

United held member roundtable discussions with Representative Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, two leading candidates for governor of the state of New Jersey. We had robust discussions about affordability, load growth, and the need to deploy more advanced energy and they appreciated hearing our members’ perspectives on issues in this space.

FERC Commissioner Willie Phillips Steps Down

On April 22, FERC Commissioner Willie Phillips resigned from his role after being asked to step down by the White House. Commissioner Phillips was appointed to FERC in 2021 and named Chairman in 2023. During his tenure as Chair, he utilized a consensus building approach in ushing through landmark decisions such as Orders 2023 and 1920 that significantly improved requirements for generation interconnection and transmission planning. His exit results in a 2-2 partisan split at the Commission and allows the White House to appoint a successor. United issued a statement thanking Commissioner Phillips for his work at FERC and urging the President to put forward a nominee that will prioritize robust competition, work to modernize regulations to reflect new technologies and innovations, and promote regulatory certainty.  

United Opposes Queue Jumping in MISO and Continues to Push on Further Interconnection Reforms

United responded to three Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) filings to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that would change the interconnection process significantly. With allies, United protested MISO’s Expedited Resource Additions Study Process (ERAS). ERAS would allow certain projects to quickly move through a separate, expedited interconnection process that lacks appropriate guardrails, to the detriment of projects in the existing queue and with minimal pathways for all project types to fairly participate. We also submitted generally supportive comments following MISO’s changes to commercial operations and in service dates to allow flexibility in addressing development delays. We also continued to support overall interconnection reforms but pointed out deficiencies in MISO’s proposal that would allow interconnection customers to utilize a different point of interconnection for a replacement generating facility than that used by the existing facility if the customer can satisfy requirements.

FERC Substantially Approves ISO-NE Order 2023 Compliance Filing, Including United's Amendments

FERC largely approved ISO-New England’s (ISO-NE) Order 2023 interconnection reforms proposal (ordering minor changes), which United actively shaped and ultimately supported. United significantly and successfully impacted the final compliance filing proposal after months of advocating for key amendments, which culminated in strong stakeholder support, successful voting outcomes, and eleventh-hour negotiations with the ISO. The dialogue led to reforms exceeding FERC’s original requirements, which FERC approved in its April 4 compliance ruling. While awaiting FERC’s protracted ruling, the region approached key deadlines that would have significantly complicated implementation of the reforms and produced cascading delays. United urged FERC in March to issue a timely decision to avoid cascading delays. FERC responded within weeks—outside of an Open Meeting and with rare advance notice—acknowledging timing concerns. The prompt ruling allows ISO-NE to move forward effectively with its reforms while preserving their core elements.

United Votes at Our First SPP Market Operations Policy Committee (MPOC) Meeting

After engaging in the stakeholder process without official stakeholder status for over a year, United became a member of Southwest Power Pool (SPP) in March. One benefit of membership is a vote at SPP’s top stakeholder committee, the MOPC. In April, we joined other stakeholders in Houston to participate in discussions and voting on a variety of topics including the approach for SPP’s calculation for the entry fee for its Consolidate Planning Process, scoping for resiliency staging as part of the Integrated Transmission Plan, Generator Interconnection Interim Service Process changes, and seasonal Planning Reserve Margin updates. Our top priority at the MOPC was opposing SPP’s proposed interconnection reform, ERAS. Despite changes—like extending the commercial operations date from five to seven years that worsen the proposal—ERAS passed the MOPC vote and now advances to the Regional State Committee and Board in May, with a FERC filing expected later this month.

Industry Coalition Urges Illinois to Go Big on Energy Storage Procurement Targets and VPPs

In accordance with House Bill 587, the “skinny” storage procurement bill, adopted at the conclusion of the last Illinois General Assembly session, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) conducted several energy storage procurement workshops and issued a draft report recommending an initial 2025 procurement of only ~800 MW, roughly half of the maximum called for in the legislation. In joint comments and a joint press release, United and industry allies urged the ICC, legislature, and Prtizker Administration to expand current and future procurements and advance demand-side programs like VPPs to protect customers against price spikes, create jobs, and meet the state’s 100% clean energy goals.

United Testifies on Energy Affordability for Joint New Jersey Legislative Committees 

On April 25, United’s Jim Purekal and Jon Gordon presented on aspects of transmission, PJM, and siting at the New Jersey Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities committee and the Senate Select Committee, focusing on issues of affordability. We continue to work with the Committee on policy developments that hope to address rising energy costs in the state.

Register for Our New York Lobby Day (Albany, NY, May 13)

Please join us for United's 2025 New York lobby day in Albany on May 13 from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. Join other member businesses, United staff, and key policymakers to discuss policy priorities in the state. This event is open to members of the Northeast Regional Working Group. Register here.

Countdown to ClimaTech: Shaping the Future of Climate Innovation in MA (Boston, MA, May 13-14)

Mark your calendars for ClimaTech 2025 in Boston, MA! On May 13–14, this two-day summit will gather investors, founders, policymakers, and industry leaders to accelerate solutions for the most urgent climate and sustainability challenges under the new U.S. administration. Set at the iconic MGM Music Hall and supported by Boston Calling, ClimaTech will feature 15+ dynamic sessions across three major themes: Massachusetts as a global climate leader; Global partnerships for real impact; Tangible business outcomes for climate solutions. Use code EMRFEARTH for a free pass. Register here.

Join Our 2025 Regional NARUC Tour (May 19 - July 17)

Join United for member engagement with PUC commissioners and staff at the upcoming regional NARUCs and Summer NARUC. If you would like to attend any or all the following events, please contact the staffer listed:

• New England (NECPUC) May 19-21 in Bretton Woods, NH
  • Monday, May 19 at 8:30am - Meeting with Commissioner Rubin (MA) 
  • Monday, May 19 at 10:00am - Meeting with Commissioner Arconti (CT)
  • Tuesday, May 19 at 2:30om - Meeting with Chair Gerwatowski (RI)
  • Contact: Mikaelyn Liber
• Western (Western NARUC) June 1-4 in Portland, OR
  • Monday, June 2 at 6:15pm - Dinner with Commissioners Meyers (AZ), Plant (CO), and Nibert (NM) 
  • Tuesday, June 13 at 12:15pm - Lunch with Commission Staff from HI, CA, and UT
  • Meeting with Chair Rybarik (WA) 
  • Contact: Audrey Thacker 
• Southeast (SEARUC) June 8-11 in San Antonio, TX
  • More details to come
  • Contact: Christina Kurre
• Mid-America (MARC) June 23-26 in Indianapolis, IN
  • More details to come
  • Contact: Megan Walkenhorst
• Mid-Atlantic (MACRUC) June 23-26 in Louisville, KY
  • More details to come
  • Contact: Mikaelyn Libier
• Summer NARUC (national) July 14-17 in West Palm Beach, FL
  •  More details to come.
  • Contact: Christina Kurre

Note that engagement at the regional NARUCs is determined by regional working group membership. Contact Christina Kurre if you are planning to be there or have any questions. 

Unsticking the Grid: What's Blocking Distributed Energy Resource Energization (Virtual, May 20)

Distributed energy resources (DERs)—like rooftop solar, battery storage, electric vehicles (EVs), and heat pumps—are transforming the grid from the bottom up. But while adoption surges, too many projects are stuck in limbo, unable to get energized due to systemic delays, unpredictable costs, and fragmented interconnection processes. In United’s upcoming webinar, we will explore barriers across the full DER landscape, with a special focus on transportation electrification and EV charging infrastructure. United’s Elizabeth Stears and expert panelists will take a deep dive into Breaking the Bottleneck, a new report based on interviews with 24 experts across the DER ecosystem. Register here.

Grid Edge Innovation Workshop (San Jose, CA, May 27)

United is facilitating a Forum and workshop in partnership with DTECH Events at the May 2025 DTECH Data Centers & AI in San Jose, CA. This three-hour Forum and workshop will showcase AI-powered automation and advanced tools that are helping drive improvements to an increasingly complex grid along with a solutions-oriented discussion about the policy and regulatory mechanisms needed to ensure that utilities can take advantage of such tools. Use United’s promo code DPARTNER1 for a 20% discount on your registration. Register here.

2026 Portfolio Upcoming Discussion (Virtual, May 29 - June 26)

We’re streamlining the process by focusing discussions on areas that may need a strategic shift. Most of these conversations will happen during Working Group meetings in early June, with a few topic-specific sessions in May.

• May 29: Contact Verna Mandez to participate at 10am PT/1pmET 
• June 2: ISONE (regular call time)  
• June 3: California (regular call time)
• June 4: Texas (regular call time) & MidAtlantic Regional WG (rescheduled from June 11th)
• June 5: MISO/SPP Call (regular call time) & Decision Maker Education & Engagement Standing Call 
• June 6 at 1pm ET: Northeast Regional WG (rescheduled from June 10th) 
• June 17: FERC (rescheduled from June 12th) 
• June 18: West Regional WG, Central Regional WG, PJM (regular call time) 
• June 26: Federal Priorities (as part of Q2 Policy Council meeting)  

New England Electricity Restructuring Roundtable (Boston, MA, June 13)

Born out of electric industry restructuring, the Restructuring meets to discuss current and emerging topics related to revolutionary changes in the electric power industry in New England and throughout the Northeast. The keynote conversation between FERC Commissioner Judy Chang and current ISO New England Board Chair Cheryl LaFleur, moderated by Dr. Jonathan Raab will explore a wide range of issues related to New England’s wholesale markets and reliability. With attendees joining both in-person and virtually and representing a broad cross-section of regional stakeholders. Participants include policymakers, regulators, utilities, developers, clean energy and technology companies, environmental organizations, and consumer advocates. Register here.

New Mexico Advanced Energy Industry CEO Roundtable

United is planning an industry roundtable in New Mexico with Governor Lujan Grisham in June. Attendance is open to CEOs of West Regional Working Group member companies. A date and location to be announced soon. For any questions, contact Michael Barrio.  

Share your feedback on the format of this Member Report by contacting us at membership@advancedenergyunited.org.