News

Virginia Mercury quoted AEE’s Harry Godfrey on the General Assembly’s failure to fund an electric vehicle rebate program. Read excerpts below and the full story here.

While Virginia’s General Assembly has committed to adopt stricter transportation emissions standards by 2025 that will encourage more widespread use of electric vehicles, lawmakers’ final budget includes no funding for a rebate program intended to bring down the vehicles’ cost for consumers...

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 24, 2021— Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) reacted to the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) decision to procure internal combustion engine fleets rather than all electric vehicles for its next-gen strategy.

"The decision by USPS to start off its next-generation delivery vehicles with last-generation technology is a missed opportunity," said Leah Rubin Shen, federal policy director at national business group Advanced Energy Economy. 

The Washington Post highlighted AEE member Highland Electric Transportation’s innovative electric school bus contract with the Montgomery County school district in Maryland, quoting HET CEO, Duncan McIntyre, cost benefits of electric buses. Read excerpts below and the full story here (sub req). This story was also covered in Green Tech Media and Axios.

Hundreds of electric school buses are about to hit the roads in Montgomery County in an effort to cut tailpipe emissions that warm the planet and can affect student health.

Washington Examiner detailed Highland Electric Transportation’s school bus electrification contract with Montgomery County Public Schools, quoting AEE’s Nat Kreamer on President Biden’s larger plan to electrify U.S. school buses. Read excerpts below and the full story here.

The Montgomery County public school district in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., is switching its bus fleet over to electric models at no additional cost in a first-of-its-kind move that could serve as a model for President Biden.

Bloomberg News quoted AEE on the clean energy impact of Highland Electric Transportation’s school bus electrification contract with Maryland's Montgomery County Board of Education. Read excerpts below and the full story here (sub req).

A school system outside Washington is poised to become the nation’s biggest operator of electric school buses... The Board of Education in Maryland’s Montgomery County voted unanimously on Tuesday evening to approve a 16-year, $169 million contract to lease 326 buses, part of a plan that could result in the county replacing its entire 1,422-bus fleet over the next two decades.

Politico's Morning Energy examined the Texas energy crisis, quoting AEE’s Jeff Dennis on what it will mean for the future of grid infrastructure. Read excerpts below and the full Morning Energy piece here.

THE EYES ON TEXAS: Infrastructure was already promising to play a prominent role in Washington in 2021, but the ongoing Texas energy crisis has injected fresh attention into how crucial the sector is to basic, every day tasks.

Indianapolis Star-Tribune examines unprecedented weather-related blackouts occurring across Texas, analyzing the likelihood of similar outages in Indiana. The article quotes AEE's Leah Rubin Shen on the benefits of grid diversification and the robust weatherization technologies available for wind turbines. Read excerpts below and the full IndyStar story here.

The same winter storm that blew more than 8 inches of snow into Indianapolis on Monday hit Texas — and hit it hard. The southern state reached record-breaking cold temperatures and residents cranking up the heat overwhelmed power generators. Millions of households lost electricity, and many have now been without power and heat for days. Predictions on when it will be restored are uncertain…

Grist highlights President Biden’s pro-environment FERC chair appointment, Richard Glick, quoting AEE’s Jeff Dennis on benefits to clean energy. Read excerpts below and the full story here. 

There’s a saying among energy wonks about the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: It’s never seen a pipeline it didn’t like. But the commission’s new chair could make that adage a thing of the past.

Bloomberg News reported Texas energy facilities did not weatherize power plants following the state’s 2011 winter blackout crisis. The article quotes AEE’s Jeff Dennis on major questions facing Texas providers and regulators amidst repeat blackouts across the state.  Read excerpts below and the full story here (sub req). The article is also available at Financial Post.

Federal regulators warned Texas that its power plants couldn’t be counted on to reliably churn out electricity in bitterly cold conditions a decade ago, when the last deep freeze plunged 4 million people into the dark.

Bloomberg assessed weather related Texas blackouts, quoting AEE’s Jeff Dennis and TAEBA's Suzanne Bertin on the need for energy diversification and nationwide grid interconnection. Read excerpts below and the full story here (sub req), also viewable at MSN.

The icy weather that left millions without power in Texas has critics of the Biden administration’s fight against climate change blaming renewable energy, but the failures have more to do with an ill-prepared power grid and shortfalls in traditional electricity sources.

Politico examined massive Texas grid failures resulting from extreme cold weather and quoted AEE’s Jeff Dennis on the case for scaling investment in advanced energy technologies.  Read excerpts below and the full story here.

The extreme weather that forced power outages from North Dakota to Texas on Tuesday triggered a bout of the usual finger-pointing about the causes. But it could also deliver a boost to President Joe Biden’s efforts to upgrade infrastructure, counter climate change and expand the reach of renewable energy.

Washington Examiner analyzed President Biden’s progressive decarbonization plans, quoting AEE’s Nat Kreamer on current industry acceleration and actions the Biden administration should prioritize. Read excerpts below and the full story here.

President Biden's aggressive goal to completely decarbonize the power sector in the next 15 years brings him directly in conflict with natural gas, the resource that has largely driven U.S. emissions reductions to date…

Public News Service examined four bills moving through the Virginia General Assembly, quoting AEE’s Harry Godfrey on Virginia’s need for expanded electric vehicle markets. Read excerpts below and the full story here.

RICHMOND, Va. -- Following Virginia's landmark passage of the Clean Economy Act last year, four bills advancing to the state Senate would help make the Commonwealth more environmentally friendly by electrifying its transportation sector.

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 5, 2021 — Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) urged the Biden administration and U.S. Congressional leaders to adopt stable, long-term tax policies for critical advanced energy and clean transportation incentives. AEE signed on a joint letter supported by 45 industry and environmental groups calling on the new administration to promote workforce development, support strong labor standards, and spur domestic manufacturing in the earliest possible legislative vehicle this Congress. Nat Kreamer, CEO of AEE, commented on how to add flexibility for advanced energy tax credits: 

Houston Chronicle detailed the electric vehicle industry boom across the U.S., quoting is AEE’s Nat Kreamer. Read excerpts below and the full story here (sub req). The story appeared in three other Texas news outlets including LMTonline.

One of the questions that has long plagued automobile executives was whether motorists — after a century of pulling into gasoline stations for a near instant fill up — would be willing to switch to electric vehicles typically requiring hours-long charges.

Governor DeSantis introduces new Resilient Florida program, investing in advanced energy technologies and climate-resilient infrastructure across the state.

TALLAHASSEE, February 2, 2021 — Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) applauded the provision in Governor Ron DeSantis’ proposed budget that would allocate $165 million for climate-resilient infrastructure development. The remarks come from Ebo Entsuah, principal at AEE:

Greentech Media profiled Southwest Power Pool’s Western Energy Imbalance Service Market, quoting AEE’s Amisha Rai on market integration. Read excerpts below and the full story here.

Interstate grid operator Southwest Power Pool has expanded its wholesale energy market, the latest step in a series of nationwide moves aimed at bringing more efficiency to parts of the country rich in renewable energy potential but lacking in the energy trading regimes to make the best use of it.

Virginia Mercury reported on proposed bills addressing land use issues as more solar projects are considered under the new Virginia Clean Economy Act, quoting AEE's Harry Godfrey. Read excerpts below and the full piece here.

Spotsylvania County: 6,350. Fauquier County: 3,500. King William County: 1,262. Each number recited by Del. Charles Poindexter, R-Franklin, to a House panel during the second week of the 2021 General Assembly session represented the number of acres that local governments in Virginia have approved for solar projects to date.