News

DailyEnergyInsider covered the Indiana Senate's amendments to HB1414 (that AEE opposes) noting AEE's perspective on closures of uncompetitive coal power plants and quoting AEE's Caryl Auslander. Read excerpts below and the entire DailyEnergyInsider piece here. 

A controversial Indiana bill that investor-owned utilities denounced for potentially increasing ratepayers’ power costs and extending the life of coal-powered electricity, on Thursday passed a state Senate committee with significant changes they find more favorable. House Bill 1414, authored by Republican state Rep. Edmond Soliday, chairman of the state’s energy task force, on Feb. 27 garnered passage by the Indiana Senate Utilities Committee, 8-2, thanks to an amendment authored by GOP state Sen. Jim Merritt, chairman of the Utilities Committee...

Utility Dive covered Indiana Senate amendments to HB 1414 (a bill that supports coal plants that AEE opposes), quoting AEE's Dylan Reed. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

Indiana's controversial House Bill 1414 was stripped of its most contentious language in the Senate Utilities Committee on Thursday, allowing it to pass 8-2 and move onto the Senate floor. The latest iteration "takes out all the worst of it," Advanced Energy Economy Director Dylan Reed told Utility Dive. Language that would have allowed utilities to store up to 90 days of fuel supply on site was removed, and the sunset was pushed up six months to Dec. 31, 2020, around the time the state's task force is supposed to issue its recommendations for how the state should proceed on energy policy. This version still slows down a utility's retirement process, mandating utilities looking to retire more than 80 MW of generation notify the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission (IURC) and go through a public hearing within 120 days of giving notice...

Virginia Mercury summarized the current status of the historic Virginia Clean Energy Economy Act in the House and Senate, quoting Virginia AEE's Harry Godfrey. Read excerpts below and the entire Virginia Mercury piece here. This story also ran in 8 other outlets including Fredericksburg's Free Lance-Star.

There’s been a lot of hype and a lot of hand-wringing over the Clean Economy Act, the Democratic energy omnibus that outlines a path for Virginia to get to zero carbon emissions by 2050. In the largely partisan debate, Democrats have contended the VCEA is an ambitious but practical way for the state to combat climate change, the effects of which can already be seen in the sea level rise threatening Hampton Roads.

Supply Chain Dive covered Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos recent $10B pledge to fight climate change, quoting AEE President Heather O'Neill. Read excerpts below and the entire Supply Chain Dive piece here. 

Billionaire Jeff Bezos, founder, president and CEO of e-commerce company Amazon, on Monday announced his commitment to providing $10 billion toward fighting climate change. Specifics of the plan were sparse — in his Instagram post announcing the funding, he said the Bezos Earth Fund will provide funding for "scientists, activists, NGOs — any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world." He'll begin issuing grants this summer and said the $10 billion is "to start," but doesn't specify how much more he plans to spend or over what time period. Some speculate the billionaire's move was timed to deflect attention from FRONTLINE's release of a documentary that includes criticisms of his technology empire's carbon footprint and rising pressure from the company's employees about not doing enough on climate change...

Florida Daily covered the surge in electric vehicle use across the state quoting AEE's Dylan Reed. Read excerpts below and the entire Florida Daily piece here. 

Industry analysts say Florida has emerged as the nation’s fourth-largest market for electric vehicle (EV) sales. From 2017 to 2018 the number of electric vehicles sold in Florida nearly doubled and the number continues to climb thanks to the Sunshine State’s love of vehicles. According to Dylan Reed, the director of Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), back in July, Florida was home to 21.8 million registered vehicles even though the state that has around 21.5 million people. Reed said he expected the EV market to continue to grow.

Utility Dive covered the AEE and Arizona Public Service (APS) announcement of project collaboration to support the utility's goal of producing 100% clean energy by 2050. The piece quotes AEE's Lisa Frantzis. and notes the 13 AEE members participating. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here (This story was also covered by PV Magazine). 

Arizona Public Service has turned to national clean energy business group Advanced Energy Economy for help reaching the utility's 100% clean energy goal by 2050, which will involve shuttering both the Four Corners and Cholla coal-fired power plants. Through the Arizona Clean Energy Future initiative, announced Thursday, APS will receive assistance from 13 companies focused on electrifying transportation, grid flexibility, expanding low-carbon generation capacity and maximizing clean energy use. The utility is also using the partnership to consider carbon capture and modular nuclear generation technologies...

Arizona’s largest electricity provider and national business group work with companies to identify and evaluate technologies to meet clean energy goals

PHOENIX and WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 13, 2020 – Today, Arizona Public Service (NYSE: PNW) and national business organization Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) announced Arizona Clean Energy Future, a joint project to develop solutions to help APS achieve its ambitious goals for clean energy and support electrification of the transportation sector.

The Arizona Clean Energy Future project involves 13 AEE member companies representing a range of advanced energy technologies and services working with APS to explore and evaluate innovative clean energy ideas and prioritize those that will be most beneficial for APS customers, the Phoenix metropolitan area and the broader region.

National business group applauds Senate leaders for passing SB 851 that puts Commonwealth on path for 100% clean energy by 2050, saves customers money, and creates tens of thousands of jobs

RICHMOND, Feb. 11, 2020 – Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy applauded Virginia Senate leaders for passing SB 851 the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), a bill that puts Commonwealth on a historic path for 100% clean energy by 2050 while saving customers money, and creating tens of thousands of jobs. The vote was 21-19. 

National business group applauds House leaders on passage of HB 1526 that puts Commonwealth on path for 100% clean energy by 2050, saves customers money, and creates tens of thousands of jobs

RICHMOND, Feb. 11, 2020 – Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy applauded Virginia House leaders for passing HB 1526, the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), a bill that puts Commonwealth on a historic path for 100% clean energy by 2050 while saving customers money, and creating tens of thousands of jobs. The vote was 52-47.  

Associated Press covered the passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act in the House and Senate, noting AEE's role supporting the bill. AEE since spoke to reporters about long-term savings to customers (addressing some concerns raised in the story) as Assembly leaders work to reconcile the two bills. Read excerpts below and the entire AP piece here (that also ran in more than 175 news outlets across the nation including The Washington Post). 

The Virginia House and Senate passed sweeping energy legislation Tuesday that would overhaul how Virginia’s utilities generate electricity and, supporters say, move the state from the back of the pack to the forefront of renewable energy policy in the United States... 

Augusta Free Press covered passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (SB 851) by the House Labor and Commerce Committee quoting Virginia AEE's Harry Godfrey. Read excerpts below and the entire Augusta Free Press piece here. 

The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee voted 12-3 on Sunday to pass SB 851, the Virginia Clean Economy Act. The bill, a companion to HB 1526 that passed the House Labor and Commerce Committee, would enact a plan into law to implement Gov. Ralph Northam’s goal for Virginia to produce 100 percent of its electricity from clean sources by 2050.

AEE Applauds Senate Committee Passage of
Virginia Clean Economy Act

National business group lauds Senator McClellan for leadership on SB 851 that puts state on path for 100% clean energy by 2050, will create tens of thousands of jobs

RICHMOND, Feb. 10, 2020 – Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy applauded Virginia Senate leaders for passing SB 851, the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), out of Senate Commerce & Labor Committee on Sunday afternoon. The vote was 12-3.  

E&E News covered how the recent Coronavirus in China has negatively affected the U.S. energy market, noting AEE has not observed impact in solar market yet. Read excerpts below and the entire E&E News piece here. 

Since the first reports of the deadly coronavirus, oil prices have stumbled, shipments of U.S. liquefied natural gas have gone undelivered, production of solar equipment has languished, and two manufacturers of electric vehicles — Hyundai and Kia — have halted production at some of their factories. Concerns are now growing about the energy sector as work slowdowns and transportation bottlenecks in China have a ripple effect because of the country's manufacturing dominance and its role as a top consumer of oil and natural gas...

Virginia Mercury covered challenges faced by the Virginia Clean Economy Act quoting Virginia AEE's Harry Godfrey who refutes incomplete (and inaccurate) cost analysis by the SCC. Read excerpts below and the entire Virginia Mercury piece here. 

The Virginia Clean Economy Act, the Democrats’ energy omnibus bill designed to achieve Gov. Ralph Northam’s goals of reducing Virginia’s carbon emissions to zero by 2050, sparked sharp questions from senators Sunday over how the costs of shifting away from carbon should be calculated...

The SCC estimates that the Clean Economy Act, which is being backed by a coalition that includes the renewable energy industry, environmental groups and Virginia’s two electric monopolies, will cause the average electric ratepayer’s bill to increase by at least $23.30 per month by 2027-2030. Annually, customers would see a roughly $280 jump in their bills. According to the SCC, the majority of that increase will come from the buildout of 5,200 megawatts of offshore wind and 16,100 megawatts of solar, both of which the legislation would declare to be in the public interest...

AEE Applauds House Leaders for Committee Passage of Virginia Clean Economy Act

National business group says HB 1526 puts state on path for 100% clean energy by 2050, would create tens of thousands of jobs

RICHMOND, Feb. 6, 2020 – This evening, national business group Advanced Energy Economy applauded Virginia House leaders for passing HB 1526*, the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), out of House Labor and Commerce Committee. The vote was 13-9.  

Environmental and clean energy business groups praise key subcommittee for advancing the Virginia Clean Economy Act

RICHMOND - Following an important subcommittee hearing, environmental and clean energy groups joined in praising members of the House of Delegates for taking bold and meaningful action to address climate change and transform Virginia’s energy economy. Last night, Delegate Rip Sullivan’s Subcommittee of the House Labor & Commerce Committee met and voted to advance HB 1526, the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA).

Indy Star covered Indiana Bill 1414 and its opposition by AEE, business and civil rights groups as it makes its way to the Senate. Read excerpts below and the entire Indy Star piece here. 

The controversial Indiana bill that could delay closing coal plants and raise rates for customers is still alive and on its way to the Senate. In a relatively close vote, House Bill 1414 passed out of the House, 52 to 41. In fact, the vote was tight enough that House Speaker Rep. Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, cast a "yes" vote — the speaker does not normally vote unless it will make a difference in the outcome. 

National business group calls HB 1414 “a bad deal,” as it would undermine market forces and make consumers pay more

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 3, 2020 – Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy reacted to Indiana’s House passage of HB1414, a bill that would require Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) approval before a utility can close a coal plant and offer more money for keeping a 90-day supply of coal onsite. The vote was 52-41.

Houston Chronicle covered automakers' efforts to promote new EV options, referencing recent Super Bowl ads and the Washington Auto Show (where AEE hosted a special EV press tour) and AEE's Matt Stanberry. Read excerpts below and the entire Houston Chronicle piece here. 

With slumping global sales and fading government subsidies, the electric vehicle market might appear to be stumbling before it ever really got started. Just don’t try telling that to auto manufacturers, who are only increasing their commitment to a technology that for now occupies a small fraction of a world market dominated by gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. Witness the Super Bowl.