Take Action

The level of State Energy Office engagement in supporting governors and state legislatures in policy development varies from state to state and is frequently dependent on factors such as the State Energy Office’s authority, as outlined in its enabling legislation, as well as where the State Energy Office sits within state government. The examples below demonstrate how State Energy Offices can work alongside state legislatures as well as advance policy discussions through alternative methods.

Legislative Initiatives

Many State Energy Offices regularly respond to governors’ and state legislators’ requests regarding the development of legislation as technical experts or at the direction of the governor:

• The Utah Office of Energy Development (the State Energy Office) has directly supported, at the direction of the governor, state legislators in the development of advanced electric grid optimization solutions legislation. In 2025, H.B. 212 passed into law. The legislation encourages cost-effectiveness analyses and approval procedures in the case that large-scale electric utilities decide to pursue advanced transmission technologies. The State Energy Office provided guidance to the governor and legislature in determining meaningful legislation for the state as well as scope. Additionally, the Utah Office of Energy Development worked with local non-governmental organizations to identify their interests and priorities and set up discussions between these organizations and legislators.
• In fall 2024, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed into law Chapter 239 of the Acts of 2024, which included several provisions regarding advanced grid solutions. Both the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs collaborated with the state legislature in developing many of these components and advocated for their inclusion in the final bill.
  • Additionally, both the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs engaged with utilities and transmission developers to understand jurisdictional boundaries and practical paths forward to ensure the meaningful consideration of advanced electric grid optimization solutions in state regulatory processes. Massachusetts also works alongside other states in New England to enhance the consideration of advanced grid solutions in regional transmission planning.
• The table below includes an overview of states in which some level of legislative action on the topic of advanced electric grid optimization solutions has been taken.

Additional Actions for Consideration

State Energy Offices may also consider the following list of actions to advance the policy discussions about advanced electric grid optimization solutions in their states:

• Engage with transmission owners and operators to encourage the evaluation of historical and future congestion on the transmission system to identify where advanced electric grid optimization solutions may benefit the grid. Included in this discussion should be performance standards or congestion limits for transmission lines.

• Pursue public outreach to broader audiences, exploring opportunities outside of working groups and public forums alone, with the support of or direction from the governor. For example, a representative of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, which works closely with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, authored an article in Utility Dive, describing how procedures at each juncture of the transmission planning process could be changed to facilitate the consideration of advanced electric grid optimization solutions.

• Consider utilizing modeling tools to identify where advanced electric grid optimization solutions may benefit the state power system. For example, in New York, the AGILe Project, sponsored by the New York Power Authority, is creating a digital twin of the state grid to understand the performance of systems and may help to identify advanced grid applications and test new sensor technologies.
• Collect data to conduct a high-level, state-specific analysis of the benefits and barriers of deploying advanced electric grid optimization solutions, accounting for energy security, economic development, policy, legal, and regulatory considerations. Data collection is also necessary for establishing metrics aimed at identifying the effectiveness of technologies.
• Consider undertaking an Advanced Electric Grid Optimization Solutions Roadmap, accounting for the opportunities of deploying such technologies, how to prioritize projects, and the barriers to implementation, such as cost-constraints or legal considerations. A state-specific roadmap undertaken by the State Energy Office could be funded using the state’s U.S. State Energy Program. Though crafted for microgrids, the Colorado Microgrid Roadmap offers an example of a roadmap that explores emerging technology in a state-specific context.
• Coordinate with and inform state regulators about including advanced electric grid optimization solutions in utility plans, such as integrated resource plans, and align utility models with the needs of the state’s power grid, including the consideration of shared savings mechanisms and other regulatory tools.