Connect with Clean Energy Works Deputy Executive Director, Matt Flaherty, at the SEPA Energy Evolution Summit to talk about how utility investments in distributed capacity can help expand clean energy access, affordability, and resilience for customers. 📍 Washington DC 🗓️ May 18th - May 20th

HB 1062 has passed in VA mandating a feasibility study on inclusive utility investment for Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power. This significant step towards energy affordability can help lower bills while boosting grid resilience and meeting rising demand.

This week Kai, Max, and Holmes celebrated Alliance to Save Energy’s 33rd Stars of Energy Efficiency Gala, which recognizes and awards leaders driving us to an affordable clean energy future. Congratulations to all of this year’s award winners!

EGLE, in collaboration with 5 Lakes Energy, published a new report titled "Clean, Safe, and Affordable: A Policy Roadmap for Efficient and All-Electric Homes in Michigan." We appreciate the inclusion of inclusive utility investment in their recommendations. bit.ly/4dt3J5I

Clean Energy Works’ Matt Flaherty presented "Harnessing Grid Value and Operational Savings to Drive Heat Pump Access and System Affordability" at the 2026 ACEEE Hot Water and Hot Air Forums.

Clean Energy Works team member, Max Toth, attended #TechAdvantage2026 to meet others who work with electric coops and discuss solutions to the issues facing the energy landscape. One theme consistently emerged: as the data center boom continues to drive load growth, flexibility is essential.

Connect with Clean Energy Works Deputy Director of Strategic Impact, Max Toth, at NRECA PowerXchange this weekend. Connect with Max to discuss how electric cooperatives can improve energy efficiency while lower bills for their member-owners. 📍 Nashville, TN 🗓️ March 6th - March 11th

Join AESP and Clean Energy Works’ Senior Associate of Building Decarbonization, Kai Palmer-Dunning on March 5th for a webinar, Advancing Energy Affordability and Home Electrification for Everyone with Inclusive Utility Investment. 🔗 bit.ly/4aJXWFK

Clean Energy Works’ Deputy Director of Strategic Impact Max Toth, attended the NARUC 2026 Winter Policy Summit. A recurring topic was the rapid deployment of data centers and how they’re increasing demand and shifting the energy landscape.

We recently shared our 2025 year in review! This newsletter highlights notable progress from states leading the charge on inclusive utility investment, celebrates the accomplishments of our partners, and shares must-see content from Clean Energy Works. 🔗 www.cleanenergyworks.org/2026/02/19/2...

Last week, Aaron Fernando (Shareable), Kyle Crider (The People’s Justice Council), and Chris Woolery (Mountain Association) talked to John Farrell on Local Energy Rules. Listen to the full episode: ilsr.org/article/ener... Access to the toolkit: www.ruralpower.us/toolkit

Connect with Clean Energy Works Deputy Director of Strategic Impact, Max Toth, at NARUC Winter Policy Summit next week. How can utilities drive grid flexibility and customer affordability into their grid at the same time. Will you be there? Find Max to find out! #NARUCWINTER26

This past week, I represented @cleanenergyworks.bsky.social at the 2026 Midwest Energy Solutions Conference in Chicago. Here are my 5 takeaways on why we need a shift in how we finance and fight for the energy transition. 🧵 #MES2026 #EnergySky

Camille Minns, our Senior Associate for Building Decarbonization, will be at the Midwest Energy Solutions Conference from January 27th-29th in Chicago. Connect to talk more about the energy landscape and how inclusive financial solutions fit into the clean energy transition.

Opportunity for Organizers: starting Thurs, Jan 22 and running for four consecutive weeks, the Rural Power Coalition will offer a free, four-part training on how to engage with rural electric cooperatives to make progress on energy affordability. RSVP: forms.gle/oht1UcGA8pkt...

Clean Energy Works offers deep thanks to the first fellowship cohort who recently completed their projects on advancing inclusive utility investment awareness in their communities.

In a major step toward making clean energy more affordable and accessible, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has authorized Southern California Edison (SCE) to launch California’s first inclusive utility investment pilot from an electric utility.

Opportunity for Organizers: starting Thurs, Jan 22 and running for four consecutive weeks, the Rural Power Coalition will offer a free, four-part training on how to engage with rural electric cooperatives to make progress on energy affordability. RSVP: forms.gle/oht1UcGA8pkt...

WRI's Electric School Bus Initiative recently released a new report: "Roadmap to 100: Electrifying the full US school bus fleet."

Last week, the Rural Power Coalition released “The Electric Cooperative Organizing Toolkit," a toolkit with resources and recommendations for rural electric cooperatives and their member-owners.

Rural Power Coalition (RPC) has released their Electric Cooperative Organizing Toolkit, a resource for member-owners of electric cooperatives and anyone interested in entry points to improving their local energy system.

After a decade-long plateau, energy use is on the rise across the country, demanding creative solutions for grid stabilization. EV charging can spread fixed costs across a large customer base, lowering costs for everyone, including the utilities themselves.

How are rural electric cooperatives uniquely positioned to leverage MHDV electrification for improved grid planning?

This September, Commonwealth Edison in Illinois announced a V2G school bus bidirectional charging pilot aimed at reducing grid strain and the cost of energy for Chicagoland ratepayers.

The rise of medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles can add significant new load to the grid, but also presents new opportunities, especially for rural electric cooperatives.

Earlier this month, Clean Energy Works team member Zuha Maryam Shaikh attended ACEEE’s 2025 Energy Efficiency as a Resource Conference in Denver, joining national leaders and policymakers to discuss affordable pathways to expanding energy efficiency solutions.

Across the United States, corporations like Amazon, Walmart, DHL, and PepsiCo are making bold commitments to electrify their medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fleets.

Upgrading your home with clean energy technology can be expensive for homeowners and tricky for renters, who don’t control property improvements but still pay the rising utility bills.

As the electrification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles gain momentum, rural electric cooperatives face growing pressure to plan for the infrastructure that will support them.

Last month, over 100 other organizations signed a comment letter to ask the EPA to withdraw its proposal to cut greenhouse gas emissions standards for light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles.

NEVI, CFI, Clean School Bus, Clean Ports, and Low-No Emissions Transit programs are cleaning the air, lowering transportation costs, and creating thousands of good-paying jobs in communities across the country.

Rural electric cooperatives serve some of the most widespread and low-density areas in the country. As the use of medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles grow, understanding where and how this new demand will materialize and impact the electric grid is more important than ever.

Next week (October 13th-14th), Clean Energy Works Co-Executive Director, Tamara Jones, will be at the RECESS25 National Black and Brown Clean Energy Summit in Detroit, Michigan.

See you at Forth Roadmap! Forth Roadmap is the premier electric transportation conference in the US. Connect with the Clean Energy Works' transportation decarbonization team, Margarita Parra and Lidiya Kassahun in Detroit and let us know in the comments if you’ll be there!

Rural electric cooperatives serve some of the most widespread and low-density areas in the country. As the use of medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles grow, understanding where and how this new demand will materialize and impact the electric grid is more important than ever.

See you in Denver! Next week (October 8th-10th), Clean Energy Works Director of Building Decarbonization, Matt Flaherty, and Senior Specialist of Market Innovation, Zuha Shaikh will be at the 2025 Energy Efficiency as a Resource Conference.

Please join us in congratulating Clean Energy Works fellow, Erik Hatlestad for his inclusion on 2025’s Grist 50, an annual list of climate and justice leaders to watch and highlights the accomplishments that are moving the clean energy economy forward.

Clean Energy Works is proud to partner with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) for the publication of "Grid Readiness in Rural Electric Cooperatives for Medium and Heavy Duty Vehicle Electrification: Recommendations for Improving Grid Planning to Manage Load Growth."

Cascadian states like Idaho, Washington, and Montana are relying on heat pumps to reach their climate goals. Heat pumps often come with large price tags, yet remain essential for lowering energy bills.

Did you know that rural electric cooperatives are responsible for 10% of the Midwest’s energy supply? Rural electric cooperatives are crucial energy democracies, empowering Midwestern communities and member-owners.

Will you be at Evolve? Senior Associate of Transportation Decarbonation Lidiya Kassahun will be attending Evolve by the Vehicle Grid Integration Council on September 24th and 25th in the Bay Area.

Proud to be a Community Partner for #RoadmapForth Conference taking place in the heart of the US automotive industry - Detroit, MI! Join us October 14-16 for the nation’s premier #electric transportation conference. Use code CEW for $75 off! 🔗https://hubs.la/Q03HpS8V0

Clean Energy Works is excited to announce the newest member of our team: Stephanie Odaffer. Please join us in welcoming Stephanie to the team, and read her full bio on our website: www.cleanenergyworks.org/about-us/

Clean Energy Works is partnering with Rewiring America and CET for a webinar titled “Addressing Barriers to Electrification with Inclusive Utility Investment”.

Clean Energy Works is excited to announce our new Senior Specialist for Market Innovation, Zuha Maryam Shaikh. Please join us in welcoming her to the team, and read her full bio on our website: www.cleanenergyworks.org/about-us/

How can local leaders and communities lead the transition to clean energy? On a recent episode of Metro Blueprint, Melanie Allen, Founding Co-Director of the Hive Fund, shares an example of how local leaders can transform energy solutions into shared opportunities for customers and utilities alike.

This month, the Little Rock School District(LRSD) unveiled 25 new electric school buses, funded through a $10 million dollar grant from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program. These buses emit cleaner air for the students’ developing lungs.

We applaud the Senate Appropriations Committee’s proposal to increase LIHEAP funding by $20 million in the Labor-HHS appropriations package. This support comes at a crucial time as the nation faces yet another record-breaking summer of extreme heat and natural disasters.

The energy grid faced strain this past June when the Eastern US saw record heat waves (the highest since 2011). Experts are largely crediting the grid’s ability to withstand rising demand (aside from a scattered disruption in the New York City area) to virtual power plants (VPPs).

As students head #backtoschool, metro Atlanta schools are rolling out dozens of electric school buses for the upcoming school year, made possible by the EPA Clean School Bus Program.