News

A Western RTO could save Western states $2 billion in annual energy savings

JULY 26, 2022 – A new report for national business association Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) by independent consulting firm Energy Strategies finds that establishing a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) for Western states would create as many as 657,000 permanent, high-paying jobs in the West. The analysis, "Western RTO Economic Impact Study," also found that a Western RTO would diversify state economies and save ratepayers millions of dollars per year in energy costs.

An RTO is a cooperation agreement which allows electric utilities across multiple states to share resources and leverage the cheapest, cleanest, and most efficient energy sources through an organized regional market. Currently, the West is one of the only regions in the U.S. without an RTO managing its power grid.

The analysis found that every state in the Western region (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) could expect economic benefits from a West-wide RTO, driven by lower electricity prices for households and businesses, additional clean energy development across the region, and the expansion of existing, as well as attraction of new, businesses to the West.

Treating solar panels like pavement creates unnecessary project costs, new industry research paper shows

RICHMOND, July 13, 2022 — Business association Virginia Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) expressed disappointment about new regulatory guidance issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) today that fails to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens on the Virginia solar industry.

The guidance updates regulatory memos issued by Virginia’s DEQ in March that changed technical parameters of solar farm construction and maintenance. The DEQ memos claimed that because solar farms look similar to roads and parking lots on satellite imagery, solar farms should be regulated as such. Guidance released today outlined means for compliance, suggesting developers install unnecessary technology workarounds.

“Solar panels are not pavement, and solar farms are not parking lots,” said Kim Jemaine, Policy Director at Advanced Energy Economy (AEE). “Research conducted by both academic institutions and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory confirms that solar installations do not cause the kind of damaging runoff that paved surfaces do. These new regulations, which are not based on science, will hamstring a growing industry in Virginia for no valid reason.”

Budget agreement opens the door to extending the life of fossil fuel generation and misses the mark on creating a more reliable, clean and affordable grid system

SACRAMENTO, June 30, 2022 — Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) responded to the California Legislature’s passage late Wednesday of new budget trailer bills that include billions of dollars for clean energy and transportation investments while also allowing aging fossil fuel power plants to keep running longer beyond planned retirement. 

Governor Newsom’s updated budget proposal presents an opportunity to boost the state’s efforts toward a 100% clean grid, but should focus on clean energy reliability strategies to address short-term and long- term needs.

SACRAMENTO, May 13, 2022 — Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) responded to Governor Newsom’s proposed $8 billion in clean energy and $10 billion in clean transportation investments in his revised budget. 

amNY published Leah Meredith's op-ed on the budget provisions need to accelerate electric school bus adoption in New York. Read snippets below and the full article here.

With more than 45,000 traditional school buses on the road, New York has the largest school bus fleet in the country. That makes the Empire State the perfect candidate to make the jump from diesel to emissions-free school buses. Earlier this year, Governor Kathy Hochul committed to fully electrifying New York’s school buses by 2035. Now, with the state budget due April 1, New York is poised to become the first state in the nation to deliver the resources schools need to provide 100 percent clean rides for kids. 

Phoenix Independent published Shelby Stults' op-ed explaining why two Arizona bills under consideration in the state legislature are bad energy policy. Read snippets below and the full article here.

Sweltering heat waves and unreliable energy access during wildfires are giving Arizonans a lot to worry about when it comes to their power supply. But a plan being considered by the state legislature should give Arizonans even more reason to sweat when it comes to their ability to reliably and affordably keep cool. 

New report commissioned by Virginia AEE finds overall cost savings from decarbonizing Virginia’s electric grid over the next 25 years

RICHMOND, February 8, 2022 – Virginia Advanced Energy Economy (Virginia AEE) today released the findings of a new report that quantifies the costs and benefits of 2020’s Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), and found the law will lead to a reduction of electric bills for the average Virginia household by $33.76 per year by 2030.

The message to Senators and Delegates: The advanced energy industry already employs over 93,000 people across Virginia, and the General Assembly’s new policies, including the VCEA, RGGI and Clean Cars standards, set the Commonwealth up for continued job growth

RICHMOND, January 28, 2022 — In an open letter to the members of the Virginia General Assembly, business leaders from across the advanced energy industry are calling on state Senators and Delegates to stay the course on creating a clean energy future for the Commonwealth. The call to action was organized by Virginia Advanced Energy Economy (Virginia AEE), in partnership with its affiliate organization Advanced Energy Works, which published the open letter online and in a full page ad in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Friday.  

After more than three years of stakeholder engagement, ACC turns its back on affordable pathway to 100% advanced energy resources.

S&P Global quoted AEE's Amisha Rai on Governor Newsom's $8 billion proposal for new investments in clean energy and transportation. Read snippets below and the full article here.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Jan. 10 pitched more than $8 billion in new investments into clean energy and transportation as part of California's budget, citing the need to decarbonize the Golden State's economy and keep climate change in check while developing new business opportunities.