Advanced Energy Perspectives

The energy market is ever changing and beholden to any number of forces, be they economic, political, practical, or personal. There are a few things we can count on, however. Among them: In advanced energy, prices are falling, and Hawaii is still sending us “postcards from the future.”

This week, Bloomberg reported that wind energy is cheaper than natural gas for Xcel Energy. Xcel, a Minneapolis-based utility that operates in eight states, including Colorado and Minnesota, is already the nation’s leading provider of wind power. On some of the windiest days, wind power supplies up to 60% of the utility’s power generation. But now it’s planning to do more, entirely on the basis of price.

Solar panels at an Apple data center in North Carolina.

Here at Advanced Energy Perspectives, the trend has been unmistakable. Large, multi-million and multi-billion dollar businesses are choosing advanced energy over alternatives. From manufacturing giants like AEE member Siemens to consumer-facing brands like Apple, Nike, Starbucks, and Proctor & Gamble to tech companies like Google and Salesforce, major companies are committing to advanced energy technologies. Now, even more companies are joining in the fun. Plus, we have details on how more companies like these can make the same choice.

The future is a world of electric vehicles, from cars without drivers to scrambles for charging stations – but the transition is not without friction. Buckle up for a ride with Tesla’s Autopilot. Plus, on offshore wind, New Jersey tangles things up once again. The news this week is a mix of futuristic technology and old-fashioned bureaucracy as advanced energy breaks through.

Another giant of industry has gone all-in on advanced energy, this one a company that will be on both sides of the transactions. In an op-ed in the New York Times published last week, CEO John Kaesser announced that Siemens A.G. would incorporate a variety of advanced energy generation technologies and energy efficiency measures to completely eliminate or offset CO₂ emissions by 2030. This would make Siemens both a supplier of advanced energy products and a customer making full use of them to meet the company’s energy needs. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is.

Photo courtesy of Walmart. Solar panels atop a Walmart and Sam’s Club in Chino California.

This week we saw dozens of major companies join the ranks of those already focused on choosing their own advanced energy future. Walmart, Goldman Sachs, Starbucks, Nike, Proctor & Gamble, Salesforce, Johnson & Johnson, AEE member Siemens, and others joined ranks with Apple and Google to commit to go 100% renewable.