Advanced Energy Leaders Urge California Policymakers to Accelerate Energy Leadership
AEE members urge lawmakers to support key policies including integrating the Western power grid, expanding electric transportation to keep California going strong on advanced energy
AEE bestows 2018 Legislative Champion awards to state Senator Wiener, Assemblymember Ting for their advanced energy leadership inside the Capitol
Sacramento, Aug. 7, 2018 — Today advanced energy business leaders went to the Capitol to urge lawmakers to support key legislative priorities in the current session that would accelerate California’s successful expansion of advanced energy. The meetings were coordinated by Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a national business association with many member companies in California.
AEE supports several bills pending before the California legislature this year. These measures will create jobs and drive economic growth as California continues to build its advanced energy economy. That view was delivered today by more than 30 representatives of 26 AEE member companies visiting key California lawmakers.
The day was capped with an awards ceremony where AEE members bestowed “Legislative Champion” awards to state Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Phil Ting for their leadership championing policy to further expand California’s advanced energy market.
Senator Wiener is the author of AEE-supported SB 700, a bill that would extend incentives for customer-sited energy storage. The Senator has also expressed his support for advanced energy technologies in critical legislative deliberations this year. Assemblymember Ting has worked closely with AEE and its members for over two years on legislation to promote zero-emission vehicles. Assemblymember Ting is the author of AEE-sponsored AB 2127. The bill enables better planning for infrastructure build-out statewide and across all vehicle classes.
“California has demonstrated that policy leadership expanding energy that is secure, clean, and affordable can actually spur economic growth,” said Amisha Rai, Senior Director of California Policy for AEE. “As a result, California has an advanced energy industry that employs more than 542,000 workers and is expected to growth 10% this year.”
AEE’s top legislative priorities are:
- Support moving toward a 100% clean grid
- Expand the market for advanced energy through an integrated Western grid
- Boost implementation of California’s Vehicle Electrification goals
- Expand Customer Choice and Direct Access
- Strengthen and defend the PACE financing program
- Grow a skilled advanced energy workforce
Yesterday the group released the latest employment data in a fact sheet showing that California has more than 542,000 people working in advanced energy — a figure that exceeds workers at hospitals (395,419), and nearly twice as many as those working at supermarkets and grocery stores (297,167) across the state. Companies expected their hiring to increase job growth by 10% in 2018 across the state. The U.S. has a total of 3.4 million working in advanced energy jobs across the nation, meaning one in every six advanced energy workers hails from California.
The advanced energy lobby day came a day before of the group’s 6th annual energy policy conference, Pathway to 2050, tomorrow in Sacramento focusing on the challenges and opportunities for business growth arising from California’s nation-leading climate and energy commitments. This year’s event features panels on moving to a 100% clean grid; achieving the state’s ambitious EV goals; expanding retail energy choice; the utility of the future; and how California is pushing forward under the new Federal Administration.
Speakers in this year’s Pathway to 2050 event include: state Senator Nancy Skinner (District 9), Assemblymember Autumn Burke (District 62); Commissioners David Hochschild and Janea Scott, California Energy Commission; Commissioner Carla Peterman, California Public Utilities Commission, Bill Ritter, former Governor of Colorado; Norman Bay, Partner, Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Former FERC Chairman; Dr. Holmes Hummel, Principal, Clean Energy Works and Former Sr. Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of Energy; Commissioner Travis Kavulla, Vice Chairman, Montana Public Services Commission and Member, Western Energy Imbalance Market Governing Body; Kip Lipper, Chief Policy Advisor - Energy & Environment, Senate pro Tem, California State Senate; Dr. Cris Liban, Executive Officer, Environmental Compliance and Sustainability Program Management, Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority; Valerie Fong, Chair, Western Energy Imbalance Market Governing Body; Mark Rothleder, VP, Market Quality and Renewable Integration, California ISO; Elizabeth Echols, Director, California Office of Ratepayer Advocates; and officials from companies across the industry.
“This is a pivotal time for California as it faces federal challenges to state public policy that has transformed our energy markets, spurred innovation and led our nation’s competitiveness,” said Rai. “Our next governor has an opportunity to further expand this market and create even more opportunities to keep our economy humming, while producing secure, clean affordable energy for California.”
Earlier this year, AEE members met with gubernatorial candidates ahead of the state primary, and in June released a policy roadmap to the campaigns of Democratic nominee Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Republican nominee John Cox outlining how advanced energy can drive economic growth in the state.
About Advanced Energy Economy
Advanced Energy Economy is a national association of businesses that are making the energy we use secure, clean, and affordable. Advanced energy encompasses a broad range of products and services that constitute the best available technologies for meeting energy needs today and tomorrow. AEE’s mission is to transform public policy to enable rapid growth of advanced energy businesses. AEE and its state and regional partner organizations are active in 27 states across the country, representing more than 1,000 companies and organizations in the advanced energy industry. Learn more at www.aee.net and track our latest news @AEEnet.
Media Contacts
Monique Hanis, mhanis@aee.net, 202-391-0884 (East Coast)
Robert Keough, rkeough@aee.net, 617-875-5872 (Sacramento, at conference)