News

The 2014 Detroit Auto Show showed a renewed interest in electric vehicles. It also showed how niche vehicles are becoming increasingly important to automakers’ future fortunes. Read more here.

The use of wind power in the United States shot up in the fourth quarter of 2013 as result of the construction of new wind farms. This was in response to the extension of the Production Tax Credit in 2013 as well as investments in technological advancements that led to a 43 percent fall in the cost of wind energy. Read more here.

EnerNOC is investing heavily in the series A funding round for San Francisco-based solar software startup, Genability. It has entered into a licensing agreement to gain exclusive rights to some of Genability’s software. The software helps a customer know what they might save by installing solar panels on their home or office building.  

Prior to the state of the Union, AEE sent a letter asking Congress to extend several expired tax credits. The letter was featured in Politico’s Morning Energy.

The need for energy storage technology is growing as the need for a complement to increasing solar and wind generation grows, and investors are taking notice. Energy storage is a valuable commodity: it could also serve as backup power for businesses that want to reduce the amount they pay as electric utility. As the amount of solar and wind connected to the grid grows, batteries are one of many storage technology that are beginning to take flight. Read more here.

In 2014, many renewable energy dollars will go into what is being described as “cleanweb investments.” These are products and services that drive efficiency: be it in homes in the form of  clouds, or access to capital in the form of crowdfunding. Funding in clean energy will also go into large-scale solar and wind projects. Thirdly, investors will put their monies in ventures they feel good about. Read more here.

“President Obama is the first president in a half-century able to tout America’s emerging energy independence. That didn’t happen by accident, but by the efforts of innovators combined with smart policies. Thanks to these efforts, the U.S. controls its own energy destiny for the first time in a generation. The danger now is not dependency. It is complacency. As we emerge from this long recession, we need to continue to make progress toward energy systems that are better and smarter. The established businesses and committed entrepreneurs who are making that happen need fair treatment in the tax code, funding for R&D and support for deployment and adoption of the best technologies. If we continue on this path, someday soon a future president just may announce at a State of the Union that the United States is the world’s biggest exporter of energy. That is a goal worth pursuing.” -- Graham Richard, CEO of Advanced Energy Economy.

This article was originally posted as an Op-Ed in The Hill.

“U.S. advanced energy businesses need tax certainty for their investments in order to maintain their position in a more than $1 trillion global industry,” said Graham Richard, CEO of Advanced Energy Economy. “On behalf of more than 60 signers of this letter, we call on Congress to extend retroactively the recently expired advanced energy tax credits for wind energy, biofuel, and energy efficiency investments. By doing so, Congress will spur continued growth in an industry that is helping to make our energy system more secure, clean, and affordable."

- Steve Chadima, SVP Communications & Director of California Initiatives at Advanced Energy Economy