Advanced Energy Perspectives

Two energy trends are at play today in nearly every state: the demand for more electricity in general is rising for the first time in two decades, and the demand for a greater share of new electric-generating resources to be from clean resources is at an all-time high. Even before landmark legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) unlocked unprecedented levels of incentives to build new wind, solar and battery storage projects, nearly all new generating capacity added to the U.S. power grid was from clean energy. Now, there is also increasing pressure to accelerate the building of new clean energy resources thanks to growing energy needs driven by increased domestic manufacturing, more transportation electrification, and data centers and artificial intelligence. Many of the companies building these new facilities want them to be powered by renewable energy. 

State governments across the country are increasingly turning to electric vehicles (EVs) as a way to reduce air emissions, and save taxpayers millions of dollars in the cost of fueling, maintaining and operating state-owned motor vehicles. EVs also allow state fleets to switch from imported fossil fuels to homegrown sources of renewable power, offering a path to bolstering local economies and energy security.