Advanced Energy Perspectives

A bill co-sponsored by AEE to give a boost to electric vehicles in California got a boost itself last week with a well-covered press conference highlighting the measure, which would establish an ambitious program to stimulate EV purchases. The bill’s author, Assemblymember Phil Ting, hosted the press event at a set of charging stations across from San Francisco City Hall. “We need a more robust incentive program to jump-start the market so that everyone can get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle,” said Ting. His bill, AB 1184, is intended to do just that – backed by a pool of up to $3 billion for EV-buying incentives.

In one of the most hopeful moments in years for advanced energy, the major forces in California politics – Governor Jerry Brown, leaders of the Senate and Assembly, labor, the environmental community, and advanced energy businesses – are coming together to extend the state’s landmark greenhouse gas reduction law, AB 32, which expires in 2020. That law calls for the state’s GHG emissions to be reduced to 1990 levels. With that goal clearly within reach, the question became: what’s next? In his inaugural address in January, Gov. Brown called for new targets: reducing GHG levels to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. It is behind these goals that California’s political stars now seem to be aligned.

For anyone working to accelerate the growth of advanced energy through public policy, the frustration is familiar. State energy legislation and regulatory paperwork are hard to find and new developments harder to follow. Documents and records are buried in outmoded websites with confusing interfaces, with every state’s different. Staying on top of state energy policy has meant searching state by state and keeping track of information manually with lists and spreadsheets. Following new developments in more than one state has been a nightmare – and a big expense.

Today, AEE is pleased to offer a solution. PowerSuite is the only fully integrated set of online tools for tracking energy legislation and regulatory proceedings across all 50 states. Developed by our in-house software team, PowerSuite is available only from AEE.

California is on the cusp of a new wave of investments in advanced energy technologies and projects, from energy efficiency upgrades for aging school buildings to breakthroughs in low-carbon fuels.  Or at least it should be.  With revenue generated from Prop 39 and proceeds from the auction of emissions credits under AB 32, 2013 was to be the year that the state reaffirmed its leadership role in energy and climate. 

This past November, California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 39, which will raise an estimated $550 million a year over the next five years to underwrite energy efficiency and advanced energy projects in schools.  Savings generated by these improvements will be plowed directly back into classroom instruction, providing significant relief to cash-strapped school districts.