News

Washington Examiner covered a Competitive Power Ventures's official perspective of FERC's proposed pricing rule, quoting AEE's Jeff Dennis. Read excerpts below and the entire Washington Examiner piece here. 

A competitive power company developing renewable energy projects is insisting it won’t be forced to shift away from wind and solar because of FERC’s recent move to boost fossil fuels.

“We are very bullish on renewables,” said Tom Rumsey, senior vice president of external and regulatory affairs for Competitive Power Ventures. “Renewables aren’t dead,” he told Josh. 

Energy News Network reported on Indiana's HB 1414 which strives to delay coal power plant closures, including comments by AEE's Caryl Auslander. Read excerpts below and the entire Energy News Network piece here. 

An Indiana bill moving through the legislature would place unprecedented new burdens on utilities before they could close coal-fired power plants. But under amendments proposed in the past week, it’s unclear if the bill would have any impact at all on utility resource planning. That is not necessarily a relief to clean energy advocates, citizens groups, industrial customers and others who oppose it. Rather, it makes some worry that the bill is a “Trojan Horse,” in the words of Citizens Action Coalition executive director Kerwin Olson, that could become more insidious with revisions after it is passed, namely the removable of a July 2021 sunset provision currently in the bill.

T&D World covered Arizona Public Service's recent announcement to deliver 100% clean, carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050, including quotes by AEE's CEO Nat Kreamer. Read excerpts below and the entire T&D World piece here. 

Arizona Public Service (APS) recently announced a goal to deliver 100% clean, carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050. The company has been on a trajectory of increasingly clean energy through solar power innovation, major investments in energy storage technology, carbon-free nuclear operations and advances in energy efficiency solutions. The goal — which is the boldest of all Arizona electric companies as well as one of the most ambitious in the country — includes a nearer-term 2030 target of achieving a resource mix that is 65% clean energy, with 45% of the APS' portfolio coming from renewable energy. The company will end all coal-fired generation by 2031, seven years sooner than previously projected...

This Colorado Springs Business Journal editorial notes the business benefits of pursuing clean energy, referencing AEE's figures on jobs growth in the state. Read excerpts below and the entire CSBJ piece here.

Jobs in clean energy — wind, solar, electric cars — are on the rise across Colorado, a result of both a policy push for 100 percent renewable energy and the realities of the energy industry. More companies and public utilities are embracing clean energy as a means to grow the economy, improve health and wellness, and reduce the greenhouse gases that are choking our planet. Those who choose to cling to outdated, dirty coal complain that new technology is taking jobs and ruining energy companies. Those people are missing the big economic picture.

Washington Examiner featured AEE's coalition filing with AWEA, SEIA, and ACORE asking FERC to revisit its December 'MOPR' order in its Daily on Energy column. Read excerpts below and the entire Washington Examiner piece here.
 
A coalition of clean energy groups called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Wednesday to revisit its controversial December order to raise payments to fossil fuel plants in the PJM power market to combat state policies that subsidize renewables and nuclear. The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), American Wind Energy Association, Solar Energy Industries Association, and Advanced Energy Economy filed a joint request for rehearing and suggested they would sue if FERC does not change course...

Inside INdiana Business covered AEE's recent study prepared by WoodMackenzie showing that Indiana stands to economically benefit from advanced energy quoting by AEE's Caryl Auslander. Read excerpts below and the entire Inside INdiana Business piece here. 

Utility Dive noted AEE's coalition filing with ACORE, AWEA, and SEIA asking FERC to revisit its December 'MOPR' order in its coverage of stakeholders push-back on the controversial federal pricing proposal, including concerns raised by PJM. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

Clean energy advocates and competitive interests have raised concerns that FERC's December order is too wide-sweeping and will harm the ability of new clean energy technologies to enter the market. Under PJM's original order, the MOPR was largely intended to apply to new natural gas resources, where it expected most interference to come from, according to the grid operator's comments on the FERC-proposed MOPR. But FERC's action was much more wide-sweeping, proposing to administratively raise the bids of any new resource in the market that receives a state subsidy...

The Daily Independent covered Arizona’s largest electricity provider APS' announcement to deliver 100% clean, carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050, quoting AEE CEO Nat Kreamer. Read excerpts below and the entire DI piece here (also posted by 107.7 Yes! FM) and see further reporting by The Arizona Republic here.

Today marks a historic milestone in the 134-year history of Arizona’s largest electricity provider as Arizona Public Service (NYSE: PNW) announces a goal to deliver 100 percent clean, carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050. The company has been on a trajectory of increasingly clean energy through solar power innovation, major investments in energy storage technology, carbon-free nuclear operations and advances in energy efficiency solutions. Now, the company’s destination for that path is set as the boldest clean-energy goal of all Arizona electric companies, as well as one of the most ambitious in the country...

Energy News Network reported on Ohio regulators asking FERC to reconsider a pricing ruling that could severely increase the state's electricity costs, quoting AEE's Jeff Dennis. Read excerpts below and the entire Energy News Network piece here. 

Ohio regulators are among dozens of challengers asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reconsider a ruling that could bump Ohio’s electricity costs up more than $1 billion per year to counter state subsidies for various kinds of electricity generation. Those expenses would be in addition to amounts customers will already pay under Ohio House Bill 6. The law, passed last year, will primarily subsidize two FirstEnergy Solutions/Energy Harbor nuclear power plants and two 1950s-era coal plants. A much smaller amount is earmarked for a handful of already permitted solar projects...

Analysis shows meeting significant demand from commercial and industrial customers would result in $5.8 billion in investment and create nearly 25,000 jobs through 2030 from solar and wind energy development in Indiana 

INDIANAPOLIS, January 22, 2019 – Today national business association Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) released a new report concluding that Indiana could benefit from $5.78 billion dollars in investment and nearly 25,000 jobs if commercial and industrial (C&I) businesses had more options to procure renewable energy through their electric utilities. 

Joint filing says FERC erred on multiple areas, will force customers to pay more for fossil fuels

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, four national organizations representing the range of clean energy companies in the United States filed a request for rehearing by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on its order to impose a Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) in the PJM capacity market.

In their joint request for rehearing, Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) said they strongly oppose instituting the MOPR, as it would block new clean energy resources from participating in wholesale capacity markets.

Virginia Mercury reported on a state senate committee hearing and action updating Virginia's Energy Policy, quoting AEE representative Greg Habeeb. Read excerpts below and the entire Virginia Assembly piece here. 

After a slow start, the General Assembly is beginning to take up energy bills. The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on Monday signed off on a set of updates to the Commonwealth Energy Policy, as well as proposals to classify nuclear energy as clean energy and develop a strategic plan for how nuclear energy contributes to the state’s renewable energy goals. All of the measures now head to the Senate floor. 

Utility Dive reports on the New York Public Service Commission's (PSC) order to offer additional financial options to build renewable energy projects, quoting AEE's Ryan Katofsky. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

The PSC sees its order to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as a means "to decrease capital costs and further spur the development of ... clean energy resources." The move builds on Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Jan. 8 announcement, in his 2020 State of the State address, that NYSERDA would make competitive awards to 21 large-scale wind, solar and storage projects in upstate New York, totaling more than 1 GW of capacity, the PSC noted.

Utility Dive published this 2020 Outlook piece highlighting the projected rise of renewables in the new decade, quoting AEE's JR Tolbert. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

Renewable energy resources have become a bigger part of the grid in recent years, competing with traditional generation sources. With flat load growth, falling costs and the expansion of the energy storage sector, this trend is only expected to rise. While onshore wind is more economic than utility-scale solar in many areas of the U.S., analysts say solar could become increasingly competitive with wind...

Utility Dive highlighted Colorado's efforts to change its utility business model through a proceeding underway on performance-based regulation (PBR), quoting AEE's Coley Girouard. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

Colorado's current utility regulatory model is already leading the state toward clean, reliable energy, and does not need an overhaul, according to the state's largest investor-owned utility (IOU). Xcel Energy's Colorado subsidiary filed comments with state regulators Jan. 10 in response to the state's proceeding examining the potential benefits of performance-based regulation (PBR), in which utilities are rewarded based on their ability to deliver on preset goals and metrics.

POLITICO details arguments of supporters and those, like AEE, strongly opposing the recent FERC PJM capacity market pricing order, quoting AEE's Jeff Dennis. Read excerpts below and the entire POLITICO piece here. (sub. req.)

FERC’s December order to exclude wind, solar and nuclear power from part of its largest electricity market is drawing support from several largely fossil fuel power producers that argue the decision won’t hobble the growth of renewable energy even as it boosts coal and gas plants.

FERC last month voted to set a price floor that will effectively exclude renewable and nuclear sources that receive state support from the PJM capacity market. Environmentalists lambasted the order as an attack on clean energy and a bailout for fossil fuels, but its supporters say the effects on wind and solar — which were only about 1 percent of the capacity cleared in PJM’s last auction — will be minimal...

Virginia Mercury published AEE Member Sigora Solar's piece supporting the Virginia Clean Economy Act, referencing an AEE report that shows ambitious clean energy goals can be met while delivering positive economic impact. Read excerpts below and the entire Virginia Mercury piece here. 

Last month, a broad coalition of clean energy companies including energy efficiency providers, rooftop solar installers and utility scale renewable energy developers joined with leading environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers to unveil the key pillars that will make up the Virginia Clean Economy Act, a bill that thoughtfully and simply puts Virginia on a path towards 100% carbon free by 2050...

Utility Dive detailed 10 trends that will shape the U.S. power sector in the new year, quoting AEE's Jeff Dennis. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

The U.S. power sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation, and has been for some time. But what are the biggest trends to watch in 2020? In speaking to a cross section of industry observers, the following 10 emerged. The economics of wind, solar and storage will continue to improve in 2020, creating a variety of implications seen in many of the other trends below.

"We're seeing time and again, whether it's in planning processes that are conducted by utilities, whether it's in open solicitations in markets ... that using combinations of wind, solar and storage is more cost effective for customers than really any other options, including relying on existing aging coal assets or even building new natural gas assets," Jeff Dennis, managing director and general counsel at Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), told Utility Dive...

POLITICO covered FERC's proposed pricing rule and PJM's ask for a rehearing on the MOPR, quoting AEE's Jeff Dennis. Read excerpts below and the entire POLITICO piece here (sub. req.)

Officials in the nation's largest power market are planning to ask FERC to reconsider or clarify parts of its decision to block renewable energy sources that receive state subsidies from participating in long-term electricity auctions. FERC last month instituted a strict price floor that will block bids from subsidized wind, solar and nuclear plants in the 13-state PJM capacity market. Owners of coal and gas generation told a meeting of PJM members that the decision, which would boost prices for their power, will provide them with clear price signals to invest in new generation or extend the life of existing plants. PJM CEO Manu Asthana, making his first public appearance at the meeting, said his staff will use today’s meeting to “listen before we decide our next steps.” Rehearing requests are due Jan. 21.

WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 8, 2020 – National business group Advanced Energy Economy reacted the release of a legislative framework by U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Democratic leaders to expand clean energy adoption to 100% by 2050 and ensure fairness of competitive wholesale electricity markets.

Virginia Mercury covered the recent surge of proposed advanced energy bills filed in the Virginia General Assembly, quoting Virginia AEE's Harry Godfrey. Read excerpts below and the entire Virginia Mercury piece here. 

The week after elections swept Democrats to power in the General Assembly, environment and clean energy activists struggled to get their sea legs in the new ocean of possibilities that suddenly opened up before them. “I think everyone’s a little surprised by the power dynamics and the shift in the political calculus,” said Tim Cywinski, communications coordinator for the Sierra Club’s Virginia chapter, at the time.

Now, on the brink of the session, energy lobbyists’ hazy sense of optimism is assuming more defined lines.

The Miami Herald reported on the rise of electric cars and the uneven availability of charging stations across the nation, quoting AEE's Matt Stanberry. Read excerpts below and the entire Miami Herald piece here. This Stateline News story was also picked up by 25+ newspapers across the nation including the Sacramento Bee, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Raleigh News & Observer, and Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

Electric vehicle owners – nearly 1.2 million of them on United States roads today – share the thrills of being energy-efficient and progressive. But they also have one big worry in common: where to plug in. Depending on the state, access to public charging stations can be adequate – or nearly nonexistent.

Purchases of electric vehicles are growing at an astronomical rate – an 81% increase from 2017 to 2018, according to the Edison Electric Institute, which tracks electricity use – and nothing indicates the trend will slow dramatically any time soon. But if anything could stunt the growth, it's the lack of power charging stations in some states.

Stateline News (Pew Trusts) highlighted the current challenge of the low number of charging stations among states given the rise of electric vehicles, quoting AEE's Matt Stanberry. Read excerpts below and the entire Stateline piece here. 

Electric vehicle owners — nearly 1.2 million of them on U.S. roads today — share the thrills of being energy-efficient and progressive. But they also have one big worry in common: where to plug in. Depending on the state, access to public charging stations can be adequate — or nearly nonexistent. Purchases of electric vehicles are growing at an astronomical rate — an 81% increase from 2017 to 2018, according to the Edison Electric Institute, which tracks electricity use — and nothing indicates the trend will slow dramatically any time soon. But if anything could stunt the growth, it’s the lack of power charging stations in some states.