Advanced Energy Perspectives

The news that DOE’s review of “critical issues” in the electric power system, which was expected the last week of June, would not be completed until July means that the Department – and Energy Secretary Rick Perry – would have at least one more week to consider the latest document submitted to inform the review. That would be the report produced by Analysis Group, and commissioned by AEE and AWEA, entitled Electricity Markets, Reliability, and the Evolving U.S. Power System. Its conclusion could not be more clear: “Recently, some have raised concerns that current electric market conditions may be undermining the financial viability of certain conventional power plant technologies (like existing coal and nuclear units) and thus jeopardizing electric system reliability. In addition, some point to federal and state policies supporting renewable energy as a primary cause of such impacts. The evidence does not support this view.”

This post is one in a series of feature stories on trends that shape advanced energy markets in the U.S. and around the world. It is drawn from Advanced Energy Now 2017 Market Report, which was prepared for AEE by Navigant Research.

The biofuels market in the United States is primarily driven by the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). While Congress set the original targets in 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets the final mandate for each calendar year to adjust for market conditions. In 2016, the EPA expanded the biofuels market by nearly 1.2 billion gallons for 2016, and another 1.17 billion gallons for 2017 across the four major renewable fuel categories: advanced biofuels; biomass-based diesel; cellulosic biofuel, made from cellulose or lignin; and “renewable fuel,” primarily corn-based ethanol, the largest category.

This week, we bring you stories of advanced energy chosen by industries you might not expect, generation-other-than-solar-plus-storage, and, as always, AEE members leading the way. Legos, cereal, and batteries backing up power plants: just another average week in the advanced energy industry.

This is a guest post from AEE member CLEAResult, adapted from the version posted here. To learn more about membership in AEE, click here. 

As an opportunity to save money and save energy, energy efficiency is now top of mind for customers. Therefore, understanding and adopting the latest in energy efficient products and technologies is important to the utility industry, which hosts energy efficiency programs. Thanks to new developments in technology, mobile applications, and other digital innovations, utilities have more tools than ever before to meet the demands of today’s energy-conscious consumer and business and save them money. However, reducing electricity costs for customers is at odds with utilities’ revenue goals and shareholder interests.

So how can utilities stay competitive and adapt to their customers’ shifting expectations, while also meeting revenue goals and shareholder expectations?  

In CLEAResult’s second annual Innovation Outlook report, we give utility companies something to think about when it comes to how they deliver on the promise of energy efficiency, how to stay profitable doing so, and how to change the way customers use energy to the benefit of all.

This post is one in a series of feature stories on trends that shape advanced energy markets in the U.S. and around the world. It is drawn from Advanced Energy Now 2017 Market Report, which was prepared for AEE by Navigant Research.

Because diesel engines are more fuel efficient than gasoline engines, diesel has become a popular automotive alternative, especially in markets where gasoline prices are higher than or equal to diesel prices, most notably in Europe and India. The traditional challenge with diesel engines is that they are more polluting than gasoline engines, but auto (and truck) makers have made great strides toward reducing the emissions of these fuel-efficient vehicles, giving rise to the term “clean diesel.” Navigant Research considers diesel vehicles that meet or exceed the EU’s Euro 5 standards or the U.S. Tier 2 standards to be clean diesel vehicles. Clean diesels have been heavily adopted in the European market, where they are credited with dampening the initial sales of gasoline-powered hybrids. It looked like North America, the second largest automotive global market, was primed to follow Europe’s lead. Then came “Dieselgate.”