News

Companies report disruptions due to COVID-19 public health crisis, response to address immediate needs, and actions to position advanced energy for economic recovery 

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 26, 2020 – National business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) has sent an open letter to U.S. congressional leadership and the White House reporting on COVID-19 disruptions to industry, describing companies' response to help address the immediate health care crisis, and proposing actions to ensure the advanced energy industry's ability to contribute to economic recovery. Findings came from a survey of AEE member companies, which are engaged in a wide range of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, grid services, and electric vehicle businesses, as well as purchasing advanced energy goods and services.

S&P Global covered aspects of the coronavirus aid bill Congress passed related to energy, noting AEE recommendations. Read excerpts below and the entire S&P Global piece here. 

The U.S. Senate's final version of the coronavirus response bill contained few direct energy provisions but numerous items that could benefit the industry and its employees. Among them, the updated bill includes worker protection provisions and a $500 billion lending facility that could assist energy companies. On March 25, after several days of negotiations, the Senate passed a $2 trillion bill, the nation's third response to the coronavirus outbreak. The House will consider the proposed legislation on March 27.

Utility Dive covered the omission of the advanced energy sector within the $2T stimulus package that was passed by the House and Senate, referencing AEE position that shift to direct pay would be no-cost. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

Relief for the renewable energy sector was not included in the $2 trillion support package the Senate unanimously passed on Wednesday. Despite a push from Democratic Senators and clean energy leaders to include tax credit extensions and other provisions in the package, Senate leadership chose instead to focus on healthcare and broader economic aid. But industry stakeholders say several of the broader economic provisions could provide employment and other relief to the sector, and there is still opportunity for inclusion in inevitable future federal legislation that will be needed to address the industry-wide impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Renewable Energy World covered FERC's approval of New York Independent System Operator (NYSIO)'s dual participation model, noting AEE siding with FERC on legal proceeding. Read excerpts below and the entire Renewable Energy World piece here. 

New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) received FERC approval for its dual participation model. Dual participation refers to resources that participate in both wholesale and retail markets. This model has positive benefits for distributed energy resources, including aggregated energy storage.

Denver Post reported on impact of the coronavirus pandemic on solar energy projects across the state amid uncertainty around tax credit incentives, including AEE's ask to Congress to shift to permanent direct cash payments in lieu of unworkable tax credits. Read excerpts below and the entire Denver Post piece here. The story and AEE's position were also covered by Washington Examiner and Smart Grid Today (sub. req.).

Colorado’s solar industry, among the country’s strongest, is joining forces with solar companies nationwide to push for extension of tax credits so they can finish projects being slowed or put on hold by the coronavirus outbreak. Concerns about not getting solar panels and other components from Asian countries in time have eased somewhat as China reports progress in fighting COVID-19, the highly infectious disease caused by the new coronavirus, and starts firing up idled manufacturing plants.

Utility Dive published an article by AEE CEO Nat Kreamer noting impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the advanced energy industry and recommending a no-cost legislative fix for Congress to keep projects, companies and workers moving forward. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

As the nation confronts the coronavirus crisis, protecting human health and safety, mitigating the financial impact on people facing job loss or disruption, and addressing the disruption of those industries that are most affected by this health crisis must be the priority. Many of the 3.5 million workers in the advanced energy industry have jobs on the line right now. COVID-19 has disrupted the global supply chain of the advanced energy industry, which impacts the industry's workforce, suppliers and customers.

It’s a no-cost way to keep liquidity in system, keep clean energy projects on track and employees working in the face of COVID-19 disruption, energy finance expert says – and it should be made permanent

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 23, 2020 – National business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) has sent a letter to congressional leadership urging them to convert renewable energy tax credits to direct payment in order to support clean energy development in the face of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to make the switch to direct payment permanent. This no-cost action would bolster liquidity in financing as the U.S. Congress works to support the economy during an unprecedented public health crisis.

Washington Examiner covered how Virginia became the first Southern state to target 100% clean energy with the passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act, noting AEE's engagement and study, and quoting key patron Senator McClellan. Read excerpts below and the entire Washington Examiner piece here. 

Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest utility, didn’t have much of a choice but to sign onto a 100% clean electricity goal after Democrats took the state’s legislature in 2019. “It's a matter of, we are going to get there, and you can either be part of the conversation on how to get there or not,” Jennifer McClellan, a Virginia state senator representing the Richmond area who was the lead sponsor of the state’s recently passed 100% carbon-free electricity legislation.

Utility Dive covered PJM Interconnection's compliance filing with FERC proposing implementation plans for FERC's  Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) order, quoting AEEs Jeff Dennis. Read excerpts below and the entire UD piece here. 

PJM Interconnection on Wednesday issued a compliance filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that largely satisfied some of the biggest critics of the regulatory body's controversial Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) order. FERC's December order attempted to effectively raise the floor prices for state subsidized resources bidding into the wholesale market, eliciting concerns that the new rules could effectively nullify state policies attempting to increase deployment of new zero-emissions resources.

GTM Squared explains the new storage market opportunity created by the just-passed Virginia Clean Economy Act, quoting AEE's Harry Godfrey. Read excerpts below and the entire GTM2 piece here (sub. req.).

A new energy bill makes Virginia a market to watch... Virginia, as it stands today, can hardly be called an energy storage market. But its legislature just passed a clean-energy omnibus bill so comprehensive and thorough that, almost overnight, it converted the state into a storage market to watch.