News

The Virginia Mercury published an opinion piece by Devin Welch, of AEE member Sun Tribe Solar, calling on the Virginia Assembly to support clean energy for economic reasons, including jobs. Welch referenced and linked to AEE's recent Virginia jobs report, and called for expanding the successful Power Purchase Agreement Pilot program. Read excerpts below and the entire Virginia Mercury piece here. 

Last month, Gov. Ralph Northam made an exciting announcement: that Virginia would aim to get 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2050. It’s an ambitious — but essential — target, and much of the reporting post-announcement has focused on a major impetus behind this kind of goal setting: climate change and the very real impact it will continue to have on communities throughout the commonwealth. 

The Washington Post's Energy 202 reported on Trump naming a Republican nominee for FERC Commissioner without pairing with a Democrat, quoting AEE's General Counsel and Managing Director Jeff Dennis. Read excerpts below and the entire Washington Post piece here, a version of which also appeared in the print edition on Oct. 3.

President Trump finally chose a new Republican commissioner for a key panel of federal energy regulators. But he did so without naming a Democrat to go with him, setting off a potential battle with Senate Democrats over the future of renewable energy and gas pipeline projects across the country. On Monday, the White House announced the president intends to nominate James Danly to be a commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Danly, a Republican, currently serves as the panel’s general counsel and would fill a vacancy left by the death in January of former FERC chairman Kevin J. McIntyre. If confirmed by the Senate, Danly would serve until 2023.

Utility Dive reported on six state utility commissioners who are pressing FERC to prioritize its resilience docket, including perspective of AEE's Managing Director and General Counsel Jeff Dennis. Read excerpts below and the entire Utility Dive piece here. 

Six state regulators are pressing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to prioritize its resilience docket, citing concerns over rapid coal plant retirements, Bloomberg first reported Monday. Utility commissioners from Wyoming, Montana, Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky wrote separate letters to FERC, asking the commission to take action on the resilience docket opened in response to its unanimous rejection of the Department of Energy's bid to subsidize coal and nuclear resources.

Transmission and Distribution World published this final column in a four-part series by AEE's Bob Keough summarizing AEE's 2019 Market Report findings. Read excerpts below and the entire T&D World piece here.

According to the Advanced Energy Now 2019 Market Report, advanced transportation was the largest advanced energy segment worldwide in 2018 for the second year in a row, with an estimated US$494.8 billion in revenue, up 2% from 2017 and 8% the year before. Since 2011, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of advanced transportation globally was 6%. At the end of 2018, over five million plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) were on the roads worldwide.

Transmission and Distribution World published this third column in a four-part series by AEE's Bob Keough summarizing AEE's 2019 Market Report findings. Read excerpts below and the entire T&D World piece here. 

According to the Advanced Energy Now 2019 Market Report, within the electricity delivery and management segment of advanced energy, it is noteworthy that advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) had two big revenue years in the United States recently, jumping 65% in 2017, to US$1.4 billion, and holding roughly steady in 2018. Smart meters and related infrastructure are foundational for much innovation in the electric power sector, including reforms like time-of-use rates.

Tampa Bay Times mentioned AEE's 2019 Advanced Energy Jobs Fact Sheet and quoted AEE's Dylan Reed in its coverage of Florida's growing energy efficiency field which highlighted an E2 report. Read quotes below and the entire Tampa Bay Times piece here. 

Saving energy is big business. There are entire firms dedicated to figuring out ways to lower electricity bills. Others help by manufacturing efficient appliances, installing energy-saving windows or creating better building materials. The technologies don’t often dazzle like the latest iPhone, but they have a profound impact on how much power people and businesses consume.

In fact, energy efficiency is the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. energy industry, according to a report from business group E2, or Environmental Entrepreneurs. More than 2.3 million people nationwide worked in the field in 2018, up 76,000 from the previous year...

Microgrid Knowledge reported on AEE's recent DER Report with an in-depth summary of the benefits, case studies and observations by AEE's Jeff Dennis. Read excerpts below and the entire Microgrid Knowledge story here. 

If allowed to participate in wholesale markets, distributed energy resources (DERs) can improve the grid’s reliability and resilience and reduce its costs. But regulators are not giving these resources needed market access, says a new report. Published by Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), ”Putting Distributed Energy Resources to Work in Wholesale Electricity Markets,” calls for federal and state regulators to cooperate with wholesale market operators and utilities to ensure that DERs can participate in markets.

The Denver Post referenced AEE's Colorado Jobs Report in its coverage of energy efficient jobs in the state per E2's report (which draws from same jobs data set AEE used.). Read excerpts below and the entire Denver Post story here (sub. req.). 

The number of Coloradans working in energy efficiency grew by 7.2% in 2018 and they now make up 22 percent of the state’s energy workers, a new report says. The report released Monday said energy efficiency is the fastest-growing segment in the U.S. energy field, employing more than 2.3 million nationwide and 34,342 in Colorado.

Utility Dive quoted AEE's Amisha Rai in its coverage of six recent EV related bills passed in California that could be impacted by the Trump Administration's emissions rollback threat. See excerpts below and read the full UD brief here. It was also reposted by Supply-Chain Dive here.

California lawmakers made progress on advancing the state's electric vehicle market this legislative session, despite President Donald Trump's Wednesday announcement that his administration intends to challenge the state's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

Augusta Free Press covered AEE's reaction to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's Executive Order to have 100% Clean Energy by 2050 by including quotes from AEE's Harry Godfrey. Read excerpts below and the entire Augusta Free Press story here. AEE's statement was also covered by Smart Grid Today (sub. req.). 

Virginia Advanced Energy Economy reacted today to Gov. Ralph Northam’s Executive Order calling for the Commonwealth to use 100% clean energy to meet its electric power needs by 2050. The governor’s plan includes more immediate goals focused on the deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and battery storage over the next decade.

“We applaud the governor for setting clear goals and driving Virginia’s transition to 100% clean energy,” said Harry Godfrey, Executive Director of Virginia AEE. “We are confident that, using an array of advanced energy technologies, we can readily meet the Governor’s goal while helping to save money for Virginia families and businesses and grow our economy.”