Advanced Energy Perspectives

While the typical electric vehicle in the minds of most consumers may be a compact urban car or possibly a luxury sedan – call it “Tesla Envy Syndrome” – 2020 has been the Year of the Electric Truck. Large companies, including Walmart, PepsiCo, and Sysco, have announced plans to begin replacing their fleets with electric trucks, and the pandemic’s increase in residential delivery has prompted Amazon, FedEx, and UPS to speed up the switch to electric. Market analysts predict rapid growth in this sector through the next decade. This is in large part due to the savings from reduced fuel and maintenance costs over the life of electric trucks. But with major product announcements this year, the savings and performance benefits of electric-powered vehicles will soon be available to pickup drivers too.

Whether the United States has “turned the corner” on the COVID-19 public health crisis or is looking at a long, cold winter of social distancing, at some point the conversation in Washington, D.C., is going to have to move from providing short-term relief to jumpstarting economic growth. When that time comes, advanced energy deserves to be high on the list for federal stimulus dollars. Public support is high: A recent New York Times/Siena poll shows that more than 70% of voters would support a $2 trillion renewable energy and infrastructure plan for economic stimulus. What would an infusion of stimulus funds like that mean for states? AEE, along with Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (TAEBA), asked Analysis Group, an international economics consultancy, to run the numbers for eight states. The results show a high ROI for public dollars put to work in advanced energy.

On October 7, AEE and its many partners will celebrate Energy Efficiency Day (#EEDay2020) and we invite you to join us. The goal of Energy Efficiency Day is to bring home the benefits of energy efficiency for companies as well as households. Energy efficiency is a powerful tool that helps businesses and consumers save money, protect the environment by reducing pollution, and stimulate the economy by driving investment and employing over 2 million people. But energy efficiency is now more important than ever, given changes in work, school, and lifestyle driven by the COVID-19 health crisis.