Clean Energy Works

We’re heading to AESP Flex Connect!

Clean Energy Works Director of Strategic Impact, Max Toth, is looking forward to exploring flexible capacity, including how inclusive utility investment paired with virtual power plants can support a pathway to increased flex capacity for a more resilient grid. As utilities see growing demand from data centers, our team is eager to discuss ways we can enable higher uptake of energy upgrades, including efficient appliances and storage, as a catalyst for broader energy affordability and flexible capacity.

See you in Montréal!

We’re heading to PLMA’s 2026 Summer Symposium!

Clean Energy Works team members, Zuha Maryam Shaikh and Lidiya Kassahun, are looking forward to exploring flexibility integration, including how we can scale participation in virtual power plants to unlock a more resilient grid. As utilities see growing demand from data centers, our team is eager to discuss ways we can enable higher uptake of energy upgrades as a catalyst for broader energy affordability and flexible capacity.

See you in Arlington!

Will you be at the NARUC Summer 2026 Policy Summit?

Clean Energy Works’ Deputy Executive Director, Matt Flaherty, and Deputy Director of Market Innovation, Zuha Maryam Shaikh, will be attending the Summit from July 19-22 in Minneapolis.

Our team is excited to connect with energy sector leaders and policymakers to address the biggest challenges to an affordable clean energy transition. We’re especially eager to explore the role of grid-edge resources and home energy infrastructure in a load growth context—keys to affordability and an inclusive clean energy economy.

We look forward to seeing you there!

A major heat wave is sweeping parts of the U.S., increasing the danger of home power shutoffs. Despite the known risks of deadly heat, few states have rules protecting the most vulnerable people from having their electricity shut off during the summer months.

Climate One recently ran an encore episode featuring Clean Energy Works’ Co-Executive Director, Tamara Jones, who shares how inclusive utility investment can enable broader access to energy-efficient upgrades that can lower energy bills and reduce the risk of dangerous shut-offs. The episode also features discussions with Jean Su of the Center for Biological Diversity and Sanya Carley of Energy Justice Lab, who share insights on the realities of power shut-offs and additional policy solutions.
Listen to the full episode: https://hubs.la/Q04pFfYN0

How do we scale up building decarbonization to benefit whole communities rather than just a select few homes with electric upgrades?

At the Climate Jobs National Resource Center’s annual Summit, Max Toth, Clean Energy Works Director of Strategic Implementation, joined John Slocum, Vince Sugrue, Allison Considine, and Alex Laskey to explore pathways to scale during the session "Powering Neighborhoods: New Approaches to Distributed Energy and Building Decarbonization.”

Moderated by Jeremiah Baumann, the discussion spanned state efforts to advance thermal energy networks, policy recommendations, high-road labor standards, and the residential building contractor sector. Panelists explored innovations in finance, from Xcel’s distributed capacity procurement to how inclusive utility investment can enable utilities to invest in cost-effective upgrades beyond the meter.

The Climate Jobs National Resource Center Summit brought leaders, researchers, funders, and advocates together to uncover innovative solutions to make a large-scale clean energy transition, including in the buildings sector, realizable. We are grateful for their work to make the Summit a success.

Will you be attending the NEEP Summit in Baltimore, MD next week?

On June 2nd - 4th, practitioners, policymakers, utilities, businesses, and community voices will gather around the theme of collaboration to share insights and strategies to unlock energy efficiency in the Northeast.

Connect with Clean Energy Works’ Senior Associate of Building Decarbonization, Kai Palmer-Dunning, who will be facilitating a 1:1 session with Morgan Hood from Vermont Gas Systems to discuss how thermal energy networks support building decarbonization at scale and make the gas transition affordable for customers of all income levels.

In a significant step toward advancing energy affordability in Virginia, Governor Spanberger has signed HB 1062, authorizing a feasibility study to assess the market potential of inclusive utility investments for Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company. The move signals growing recognition that inclusive utility investment can support affordability, grid resilience, and address increasing energy demand from data center growth.

A dedicated group of legislators, including Chief Patron Phil M. Hernandez, Chief Co-Patron Adele Y. McClure, and co-sponsors Katrina Callsen and Dan I. Helmer, along with the Southern Environmental Law Center Virginia (SELC), championed this effort to deliver effective solutions for Virginians facing high energy costs.

While the legislation focuses on a feasibility study, it establishes an important foundation for future inclusive utility investment pilots in Virginia. Inclusive utility investment has already been approved by state energy regulators in ten other states, raising confidence that it will be deemed feasible for Virginians.

The feasibility study is expected to be completed by November 1, 2026, with future program requirements due by May 1, 2027.

Read more on our website: https://hubs.la/Q04gBFqw0

Congratulations to the Stars of Energy Efficiency honored at the Alliance to Save Energy Gala, which recognizes and awards leaders driving us to an affordable clean energy future.

Paula Glover, ASE President and Chair of the Clean Energy Works Board, grounded the evening in the power of energy efficiency to improve people’s lives and its central role as the fastest, lowest cost way to address skyrocketing energy demands.

ASE recognized Calvin Butler, President & CEO of Exelon, for championing the meaningful impact that efficiency can have on customers and communities across the 10.8 million customers at six utilities served by their company.

ComEd of Illinois (an Exelon company) led byCEO Gil Quinones was honored for their work to bring resilience to customers and the grid. ComEd’s leadership to support Illinois’s Equitable Efficiency Upgrades Program guidelines reinforces that ComEd is working to bring inclusive utility investments for active efficiency to their entire customer base.

As we continue advancing inclusive financial solutions for all, we’re energized to work alongside leaders and partners committed to building a more affordable and resilient grid. Congratulations to all of this year’s award winners!

On March 24th at the 2026 The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Hot Water and Hot Air Forums, Matt Flaherty, Clean Energy Works Deputy Executive Director, took the stage with fellow panelists, Matt Malinowski (ACEEE), Iain Kerr, P.Eng (Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors), and moderator Dr. Jenny Frank (State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry) for a session called Affordability through Innovation in Financing and Program Design.

Matt’s presentation, titled "Harnessing Grid Value and Operational Savings to Drive Heat Pump Access and System Affordability", explained how two emergent policy solutions can be paired to broaden access to heat pump upgrades while also reducing costs for all utility customers.

The presentation addressed opportunities to:

🔹 Improve grid utilization, especially in a load growth
environment, by avoiding and deferring infrastructure costs
🔹 Compensate distributed capacity to augment operational
savings of clean energy upgrades.
🔹 Address the upfront cost barriers to weatherization and high-
efficiency heat pump upgrades by leveraging operational
savings
🔹 And thus, help scale DER adoption to drive greater peak
reduction and increase demand flexibility potential

Adopting distributed energy resources (DERs), like residential heat pumps, at scale can help reduce peak demand and increase grid flexibility. Utilities can also enhance household benefits by recognizing and compensating the value of DERs.

Matt’s presentation highlighted how inclusive utility investments provide a vehicle to deliver these significant benefits to more households, overcoming many systemic barriers to accessing clean energy upgrades.

Connect with us to learn more about how these approaches can drive widespread heat pump adoption and tackle affordability: https://www.cleanenergyworks.org/connect/

Did you make it to NRECA ?

Clean Energy Works Deputy Director of Strategic Impact, Max Toth, joined Chris Woolery (Mountain Association) and Erik Hatlestad (Rural Power Coalition) at the National Rural Electric Cooperatives’ annual Tech Advantage conference to meet others who work with electric cooperatives and discuss innovative solutions to the issues facing the energy landscape. Max found that one theme consistently emerged: as the data center boom continues to drive load growth, co-ops are interested in how flexibility can support their grids.

We’re eager to continue learning more from others in the electric cooperative space and deepen our understanding of how co-ops seek to navigate load growth.