Forum Focuses on Utilizing Advanced Energy as
Economic Driver for Ohio
As Corporate America’s demand for advanced energy increases, energy policy must keep up with technological innovation, business group says
Columbus, Ohio, May 26, 2017 — Yesterday evening, Advanced Energy Economy Institute (AEE Institute) convened a forum to discuss the role of advanced energy in Ohio with lawmakers, utility professionals, government officials, and advanced energy companies. This conversation highlighted opportunities and challenges Corporate America faces when trying to power its operations with secure, clean, and affordable energy. Fortune 500 companies are increasingly seeking to power their facilities with advanced energy technologies like solar, wind, geothermal, and energy storage, in order to meet their sustainability and renewable energy goals.
"Our conversation demonstrated that demand for advanced energy is soaring," said J.R. Tolbert, vice president of state policy, Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a national business group affiliated with AEE Institute. “If Ohio is going to continue being an economic leader, lawmakers will need to embrace policies that provide support and clarity for these technologies, which the companies Ohio wants to attract and keep in the state see as central to their operations going forward."
The discussion highlighted successful projects completed by renewable energy developers in Columbus, barriers to accessing these technologies, and market opportunities throughout Ohio. These projects have helped customers, typically large energy users, reach their sustainability and renewable energy targets while making their facilities more competitive and reducing their cost of operations.
“More and more commercial and industrial consumers are purchasing cost-competitive advanced energy technologies to power their facilities. Demand for sustainable, innovative energy projects, like those we’re developing in Ohio, is increasing as prices continue to fall,” said Harry Godfrey, Manager of State Government Affairs (East) at Invenergy LLC. “This benefits not only the consumers purchasing clean, reliable, and affordable energy, but also the communities in which these projects are located. They generate millions in new revenue to support local schools, roads and first responders.”
“Many companies are looking for the right signals from lawmakers to grow or expand their business in Ohio. Stable, holistic energy policies would ensure Ohio remains a competitive market to attract companies with renewable energy goals,” said Ted Ford, President of Ohio Advanced Energy Economy. “Some of the largest companies are increasingly seeking to power their facilities with cost-effective technologies like solar and wind, and we need to make it easier for them to access these technologies.”
Participating in the forum were officials from Schneider Electric, Lockheed Martin, Invenergy, AEP Energy, Apex Clean Energy, First Solar, and Franklin County Economic Development & Planning Team.
Innovative technologies like solar, wind, and battery storage represent a portion of the total $200 billion U.S. advanced energy industry, which is equal in revenue to pharmaceutical manufacturing and approaching that of consumer electronics. According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s 2017 Energy & Employment report, the advanced energy industry today employs more than 3.3 million people across the nation, with 89,000 people in Ohio working in energy efficiency, solar, wind and advanced fuels.
For more information on the role and size of the energy efficiency sector in the United States, download Advanced Energy Economy’s Advanced Energy Now 2017 Market Report. To learn more about various energy efficiency technologies, download This Is Advanced Energy, a comprehensive technology directory with descriptions, photos, and case study examples.
About Advanced Energy Economy and AEE Institute
The Advanced Energy Economy Institute is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to raise awareness of the public benefits and opportunities of advanced energy. AEE Institute provides critical data to drive the policy discussion on key issues through commissioned research and reports, data aggregation and analytic tools. AEE Institute also provides a forum where leaders can address energy challenges and opportunities facing the United States. AEE Institute is affiliated with Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a 501(c)(6) business association, whose purpose is to advance and promote the common business interests of its members and the advanced energy industry as a whole. AEE and its State and Regional Partner organizations are active in 27 states across the country, representing more than 1,000 companies and organizations in the advanced energy industry. Visit AEE Institute at https://www.aee.net/aeei and AEE online at https://www.aee.net/.
Media Contact:
Bob Keough, rkeough@aee.net, 617-875-5872