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The Roanoke Times (op-ed): Smart emission markets benefit our economy and families

Posted by Harry Godfrey on Mar 27, 2019

The Roanoke Times published this op-ed by Virginia Advanced Energy Economy's Harrison Godfrey, supporting Governor Northam’s veto of HB. 2611 (an attempt to restrict Virginia's ability to participate in market trading systems) and encouraging line-item veto of a similar restriction in the budget. See excerpts below and the entire Roanoke Times op-ed here:

On March 14, Gov. Northam issued one of his first vetoes this year. HB. 2611 would have made it harder for the Commonwealth to establish cost-effective, free-market emission rules for power plants. By vetoing it and the corresponding budget language, which we presume he will address, the governor did all Virginians, especially those living paycheck to paycheck, a favor.

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Topics: United In The News

The Washington Post (Opinion): A missed opportunity in Virginia to embrace renewable energy

Posted by Joe Rinzel on Mar 22, 2019

This Washington Post op-ed covers how the Virginia State Corporation Commission denied Walmart’s request to buy renewable energy generated by a third-party (not one of two regulated utilities) despite the fact that job creators across the commonwealth have espoused support for state policy enabling greater customer choice. The article references AEE's 2018 Virginia Jobs Fact Sheet. See excerpts below and the entire Washington Post op-ed here:

Sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive. More and more American companies are demanding renewable energy options to power their businesses. You can be sure that these demands are motivated by economics, not philanthropy…

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Topics: United In The News

Windpower Engineering: Advanced Energy Jobs up 4%, Growing Twice as Fast as overall U.S. Employment

Posted by Michelle Froese on Mar 20, 2019

This Windpower Engineering & Development piece highlights AEE's report with commentary from AEE CEO, Nat Kreamer, on the rapid growth for advanced energy jobs as of 2018 and the expected increase in employment in the coming year. See excerpts below and the entire Windpower Engineering story here.

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Topics: United In The News

Advanced Energy Gains 125,000 Jobs in 2018, Growing Twice as Fast as U.S. Employment Overall

Posted by Bob Keough on Mar 20, 2019


With 3.5 million jobs, advanced energy industry employs more U.S. workers than retail stores, twice as many as hotels and motels, three times coal and oil industries

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 20, 2019 – Today national business group Advanced Energy Economy released a fact sheet showing that the advanced energy industry employed 3.5 million U.S. workers in 2018, an increase of 125,000 jobs over 2017. Advanced energy employment grew 4 percent year-over-year, more than twice as fast as the overall U.S. employment growth rate of 1.5 percent. Employers expect to add 6 percent more advanced energy jobs in the coming year.

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Topics: Press Releases

Washington Examiner: Big problem facing the Green New Deal: A lack of power lines to deliver wind and solar

Posted by Josh Siegel on Mar 20, 2019

This piece by the Washington Examiner discusses how the Green New Deal is all but impractical without addressing how critical transmission lines are to its implementation. The AEE perspective is given by Managing Director and General Counsel Jeff Dennis. See excerpts below and the entire Washington Examiner story here:

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Topics: United In The News

Windpower Engineering: Nevada to join U.S. Climate Alliance

Posted by Michelle Froese on Mar 12, 2019

This Windpower Engineering & Development piece covers Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s decision to join a growing number of states in entering into the U.S. Climate Alliance, quoting AEE's Ray Fakhoury. See excerpts below and the entire Windpower Engineering story here

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced that the state would join the U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition of state governors pledging to reduce carbon emissions and support clean, renewable energy growth throughout the country.

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Topics: United In The News

Utility Dive (Opinion): BQDM Program Demonstrates Benefits of Non-traditional Utility Investments

Posted by Coley Girouard on Mar 11, 2019

Utility Dive ran AEE's third case study in a six-part series on utility business reform.This one covers how the Brooklyn-Queens demand management (BQDM) program demonstrates the clear benefits (and some challenges) of non-traditional utility investments. See excerpts below and the complete Utility Dive piece here. Access the foundational report and five case studies series here that AEE produced with RMI and APP.
 
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Topics: United In The News

Governing: The Green New Deal? It's Already Happening in Our Communities

Posted by By Steven Pedigo and Abigail Sindzinski on Mar 11, 2019

Governing Magazine covers how cities large and small (and several states) are stepping up their efforts to combat climate change and cope with its impact. The authors cite the economic benefits of the advanced energy economy, specifically referencing AEE's half million jobs figure for California as a tangible example. See the entire Governing article here.

Many critics have portrayed the Green New Deal, with all its hope for our climate policy, as radical. To be sure, the proposal by congressional progressives to meet all energy demand from zero-emissions sources in 10 years is highly ambitious. But for cities -- places where the effects of climate change are especially pronounced and a growing share of the population lives -- the radical way forward is inaction. Cities need to be formulating their own plans to combat climate change and to blunt its impact through resilience planning...

With the current political climate, local governments can be effective and nimble at getting more done. Cities are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (responsible for 70 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide, according to the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group). Many local governments are already stepping up, implementing climate strategies and benchmarks that reflect the goals of the Green New Deal. And in some cases, local governments' efforts are being bolstered or led by those of forward-looking state policymakers...

California and its cities are on the clean-energy forefront [and...] The economic benefits of the advanced energy economy in California have been tangible, with more than half a million jobs in the clean energy sector as of April 2017... [the article shares examples of several other states from N.J. to Minn.]

As these efforts illustrate, there is much that cities and states can do -- and in many cases are already doing -- to combat climate change. Key areas for action include not only energy generation and consumption but also transportation, waste management and the built environment...

Read the entire 
Governing article here.

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Utility Dive: Consumers Shouldn't Pay for Bureaucratic Thinking on Electricity

Posted by Devin Hartman and Caitlin Marquis on Mar 8, 2019

Utility Dive published this commentary by AEE Director Caitlin Marquis and Electricity Consumers Resource Council President and CEO Devin Hartman on a consumer-focused approach to reliability and resilience in energy policy, based on the evolving characteristics of the power industry. See the entire Utility Dive article here

The past two years of federal energy policy debates have focused on two key related areas: reliability and resilience. For more years than that, public debate has centered on the potential challenges associated with the retirement of traditional grid resources like coal and nuclear plants. Throughout all of this, the consumer voice has largely been ignored, instead overruled by incumbent electricity generators and political interests.

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Topics: United In The News

Yale Climate Connections: Is the Grid Ready for Electric Vehicles?

Posted by Jan Ellen Spiegel on Mar 5, 2019

This Yale Climate Connections post looks at how the grid can best prepare to integrate electric vehicles (EVs)), with perspective by AEE's Matt Stanberry, See excerpts below and read the entire Yale Climate Connection story here, which includes an excellent summary of Con Edison's EV pilot programs.

Some Americans appear increasingly ready to give up their gas cars for electric vehicles. But are the country’s electric grids prepared for them?

The question is a critical one in the quest to address climate change, because transportation is now the single largest sector contributing to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. EVs are widely viewed as a key way to help change that.

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Topics: United In The News

Forbes: Maximizing Distributed Energy Resources: Global Insights on... Grid Regs

Posted by Mike O'Boyle on Mar 5, 2019

Forbes featured AEE’s graphic of Performance-Based Regulation by state in this story about new research on how various governments are exploring the best policies to effectively deploy more distributed energy resources. See excerpts below and read the entire Forbes piece here:

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Topics: United In The News