News

Southeast Energy News reports that energy efficiency advocates in Virginia worry regulators will be too conservative when evaluating cost-effectiveness. Here are some excerpts:

Daily Energy Insider reported: Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) announced Tuesday that it submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), urging a rejection of a proposal that would provide emergency support for coal and nuclear plants across the PJM Interconnection. FirstEnergy Solutions filed the proposal for a 202(c) order on March 29. AEE said in its comments that FirstEnergy Solutions did not provide evidence that shows that there is a national emergency that would require DOE to intervene by issuing a 202(c) order. “The proposal amounts to a multi-billion-dollar tax on businesses and households in PJM to bail out uncompetitive power plants,” Malcolm Woolf, senior vice president of policy for AEE, said. “The region is blessed with ample excess electricity generation supply, as attested to by the grid operator, PJM. As such, there is no imminent shortfall that would justify invoking the ‘emergency authority’ of the Federal Power Act, the ‘national security’ provisions of the Defense Authorization Act, or any other authority for emergency action.”

Advanced Energy Economy Urges U.S. Dept. of Energy to Reject Request for Emergency Support of Coal, Nuclear Plants

Utility Dive observes that new insights could slow Minnesota’s cutting-edge move to a performance-based utility business model and reports on efforts to implement performance-based regulation as part of its e21 grid modernization initiative. 

Greentech Media reports New York regulators approved multiple initiatives to advance the state’s clean energy goals, while the governor doubles down on energy efficiency. The story included comments and perspective from AEE state partner, Alliance for Clean Energy New York’s (ACE NY) Anne Reynolds.

PV Magazine reports:

Washington, D.C., April 20, 2018 — Today, national business organization Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) and Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY) issued the following statement in reaction to New York State's significant announcement today to increase energy efficiency efforts 50% over current levels:"Today's announcement represents a big commitment to money-saving energy efficiency by Governor Cuomo," said Lisa Frantzis, senior vice president of Advanced Energy Economy, a national business association. "It is inspiring to see New York take on energy efficiency with the same level of ambition the state has shown on renewable energy and utility transformation. The result will be savings for customers and jobs for New Yorkers making homes and businesses more energy efficient." “This new commitment to energy efficiency is excellent news for an industry that already employs 110,000 New Yorkers, and now will employ more,” Said Anne Reynolds, Executive Director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. “Efficiency is extremely valuable to the environment, to utility customers, and to a clean and resilient grid. To be successful, this program will need to clearly recognize and monetize that value and provide a simple and streamlined method for utilities to achieve efficiency. We look forward to working with the utilities, the state and all stakeholders to ensure Governor Cuomo’s exciting goals yield real and timely results.”

Advanced Energy Roadmap Shows How Next Governor of Illinois Can Drive the Economy By Making Energy Used by Households and Businesses Secure, Clean, and Affordable 

Virginia Advanced Energy Economy's Executive Director Harry Godfrey makes the case that the recently passed SB966 has the potential to dramatically increase renewable energy and energy efficiency deployment, leading to new jobs across the Commonwealth. But, he says, the responsibility rests "on all of us, including elected leaders in Virginia, to hold the utilities to account and ensure they live up to the potential of this legislation."

The story highlights a new study that concluded "expected closure of four nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania will dramatically harm efforts to reduce carbon emissions that contribute to climate change, and significantly raise electricity prices for consumers in those states and beyond."

RTO Insider and Utility Dive both reviewed highlights from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's technical conference on distributed energy resources (DERs) April 10-11. The principle debate centered on "whether electric distribution companies (EDCs) should serve as gatekeepers or facilitators for resources seeking to participate in energy markets." (RTO)

The Washington Examiner published this opinion piece from a group of authors representing the perspective of electricity buyers large and small, including the Advanced Energy Buyers Group that AEE coordinates. Excerpts below: President Trump recently announced that the Energy Department is reconsidering funneling emergency aid to unprofitable power plants in response to a request from a bankrupt company. But experts agree that no grid emergency exists, and that such action would cost consumers billions and destroy market competition. Indeed, subsidizing troubled companies would constitute an extreme measure at consumers’ expense. It’s about time consumer voices took control of the grid narrative. The leader of the bailout push is FirstEnergy Solutions, a company that recently declared bankruptcy because some of its coal and nuclear plants are not competitive in today’s market. The company asked Energy Secretary Rick Perry to declare a grid emergency under Section 202 of the Federal Power Act to keep plants online to “ serve the public interest.” Yet such action would be a clear abuse of statutory authority. The Energy Department’s own technical report in 2017 found that the bulk power system is performing reliably. Clearly, “serving the public interest” actually means letting markets run their course. If the plants were necessary for grid reliability and resilience, then customers would share FirstEnergy’s concern. Instead, electricity users are deeply distressed by the immediate costs they could face, as well as the long-term damage to the market, due to the proposed intervention... ...This is not an issue of coal and nuclear versus renewables and natural gas; this is about customers versus rent-seekers, good versus bad governance, and markets versus destructive government intervention.

Virginia AEE Supports Carbon Emission Trading Program as Economic Driver for Commonwealth 

The Hill published this opinion piece by AEE’s head of Congressional Affairs Dylan Reed:

 

The Plain Dealer reported that "A growing chorus of opponents are condemning the maneuver by FirstEnergy Solutions Thursday to convince the U.S. Department of Energy that an electrical supply emergency exists in Ohio and 12 other states.