James Walker, P.E.

We’re continuing our Forum Countdown with session "Interregional Transmission: The Key to Energy Dominance or Too Broken to Fix?" In the age of "energy dominance," expanding electric grid capacity is essential. This panel will discuss the role of interregional transmission specifically: what is driving the need for it; why it is crucial to reliable and affordable electricity in the face of escalating demand; and why it is not being built. Attendees will learn about the key barriers to interregional transmission and opportunities to overcome them as panelists explore whether the paradigm for developing interregional transmission is simply too broken to fix. https://lnkd.in/eTv4bbDZ

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Excited to be co-presenting at T&D World Live this September on Dominion Energy's Transmission Hosting Capacity Platform! The increasing volume of requests for transmission-level hosting capacity studies presents a significant operational challenge for a lot of utilities. The existing methods, usually manual scenario-driven studies, is no longer sustainable. The folks at Dominion Energy new there had to be a better way, and pulled us in to help. The result of this initiative is their Transmission Hosting Capacity Analysis tool. This proprietary platform automates computationally expensive studies and establishes a much-needed standard for analysis. It empowers teams to efficiently evaluate optimal locations for incremental load, supporting data-driven infrastructure planning and development. If this sounds interesting to you, I hope to see you there!

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Rhode Island utility regulators approve 16% hike in higher winter electric rates starting Oct. 1 - Rhode Island PBS https://lnkd.in/eYavH_MA

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Next Tuesday, March 17th, at noon, REV will hold a virtual update on the state of climate and energy topics under consideration in the 2026 Legislative session. Key topics include: Protecting net metering for Vermont households: The 2025 federal reconciliation bill abruptly terminated a 30% tax credit for residential solar purchases, previously scheduled to run through 2032. Multiple bills (S.170, H.716) sought to offset the loss of this vital financial support for Vermont families who want to go solar, but these bills have run into stiff opposition from the Scott Administration's Public Service Department and the Public Utility Commission. Passing a net metering protection bill over a potential gubernatorial veto would be a challenge, but there are also opportunities to work with the Public Utility Commission during its 2026 update to net metering rates, which will include a window for public input the first two weeks of April. Supporting Solar Smart Growth: Vermont law currently makes it more difficult to build renewable projects next to one another than to build in a greenfield. REV strongly supports H.710, which would implement statutory changes to make it more predictable and cost-effective to build solar projects near one another. The bill will help keep renewable energy costs low and passed the House with tri-partisan support on a 108-30 vote. Solar and Land use: REV members support thoughtful siting requirements that protect Vermont's environment but strongly oppose efforts to impose restrictions on renewable energy that do not apply to big box stores and other forms of development. S.323 would drastically curtail Vermonters' ability to build the lowest-cost solar projects by creating new barriers to development that apply exclusively to solar projects. The bill would increase the cost of meeting our state's renewable energy needs and fail to address the forms of development that are putting actual pressure on Vermont land preservation goals. Register to learn how these crucial issues are faring in the 2026 Legislative session: https://lnkd.in/ekQpZn6E

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Protecting the Grid and the Consumer: PJM to Extend Capacity Price Caps ⚡️🏛️ In a significant move for the U.S. energy market, the PJM Interconnection is set to extend its capacity auction price caps for an additional two years. This development, confirmed by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, marks a critical intervention in the nation’s largest power grid. The decision comes at a pivotal moment. As the grid faces the dual pressures of aging infrastructure retirements and a massive surge in demand from data centers and electrification, price volatility has become a primary concern for regulators and businesses alike. What this means for the energy landscape: * Market Stability: By extending the cap, PJM aims to prevent "price shocks" that could result from tightening supply margins. * Investment Signals: While the cap protects consumers, the industry is watching closely to see how this affects the incentive for new generation projects—particularly renewables and gas—needed to ensure long-term reliability. * Regulatory Alignment: The move highlights the increasing collaboration between grid operators and state leadership to balance affordability with the clean energy transition. As PJM navigates these complex market dynamics, the balance between "market-based signals" and "consumer protection" remains the most debated topic in the power sector today. We are here to help. Review your facility's energy plan here: https://lnkd.in/e3Ck8_zu #EnergyMarkets #PJM #PowerGrid #Utilities #EnergyPolicy #DataCenters #GridReliability #Pennsylvania #ElectricityPrices #CleanEnergyTransition Read more about this here: https://lnkd.in/eAdmBV45

The new SMART 3 Program launches tomorrow! We are very excited to see that years of advocacy from our team and others in the energy equity space have led to many changes in the program that will prioritize driving savings to low-income customers. You can read more about these changes in our recent blog post

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🪴 Hidden in Governor Healey's energy bill is a provision that could dramatically speed up clean energy project development across Massachusetts. The challenge: Currently, new solar projects can't connect to the grid if the potential exists that they would overload it at any point during the year. This often requires long wait periods while studies are conducted, and expensive, time-consuming infrastructure upgrades. The solution: Flexible interconnection allows temporary "curtailment" (reducing energy flow) of the solar project during periods when the solar may produce more energy than the grid could handle, letting more projects connect faster and cheaper. Real impact: A school planning solar installation might wait months or years for grid upgrades under current rules. With flexible interconnection, that same project could move forward immediately. Smart grid solutions like this prove we can accelerate clean energy without breaking budgets, or compromising grid safety and reliability. 💪🏼 #GridModernization #FlexibleInterconnection #CleanEnergy #SolarDevelopment #EnergyInnovation #PowerOptions

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A new National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) report says Massachusetts’ solar-on-farmland policy framework offers lessons for developers navigating both opportunity and regulatory complexity. #Photovoltaics #EnergyStorage #RenewableEnergy

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We’re pleased to introduce the panelists for the upcoming New England Energy Roundtable on Energy Affordability. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gf2GASdX Friday, March 20, 2026 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM Attend in person or via livestream The event begins with a keynote conversation with Vamsi Chadalavada, newly appointed President & CEO of ISO New England, focused on ISO-NE’s strategic direction, evolving market structures, and the role of transmission planning amid growing reliability needs and policy-driven change. Panel I: Laying the Groundwork — Energy Affordability & Cost Drivers • Elin Swanson Katz, Founder, Blue Swan Energy Strategies • Ryan Wiser, Senior Scientist & Advisor, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab • James Bride, President, Energy Tariff Experts Panel II: Policy Paths on Affordability • Jeremy McDiarmid, Chair, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities • Mary Wambui, Director, Planning Office for Urban Affairs • Caitlin Peale Sloan, VP for Climate & Energy, Conservation Law Foundation • Penni McLean-Conner, EVP of Customer Experience & Energy Strategy, Eversource The New England Energy Roundtable is convened by Apex Analytics, LLC and co-moderated by Matthew Nelson and Lauren Miller Gage. We look forward to seeing you there!

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"ELM applauds the continued efforts to bring affordable and reliable clean energy to Massachusetts. As we face escalating energy prices, it remains paramount that we maximize energy efficiency and available clean energy resources while reducing our reliance on volatile fossil fuels. The result is a win-win-win for our economy, communities, and environment." - ELM's President, Elizabeth Turnbull Henry.    Today, Office of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed an Executive Order setting new targets to bring 10 gigawatts of new energy resources and 5 gigawatts of energy storage online by 2035. This adds to an ongoing strategy to strengthen energy supply and lower costs for Massachusetts residents and businesses. The Executive Order directs agencies to expand solar deployment, increase energy storage, maximize grid efficiency, and explore additional energy resources such as wind, geothermal, and nuclear.    During an ongoing energy cost crisis, expanding clean energy supply alongside strong efficiency policies will be essential to keeping costs down and ensuring a reliable, resilient energy system for our Commonwealth. https://lnkd.in/eAMXccDZ - - - #EnergyEfficiency #EnergyAffordability #CleanGrid #GridEfficiency #CleanEnergy

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