Advanced Energy Perspectives

While the nation’s eyes may be turned to Washington, D.C., this week for the inauguration, there is action just 109 miles south on I-95 in Richmond. The Virginia General Assembly gaveled into session last Wednesday, and there is a full slate of the bills that could impact the advanced energy industry. Last year, we noted that the sign on the door of a state that prides itself on being “open for business” could have read “gone fishing” when it comes to the advanced energy industry. But the slogan this year could be “under construction.” Here are three questions that will determine which message Richmond will be sending to the advanced energy industry in 2017:

This post is one in a series featuring the complete slate of advanced energy technologies outlined in the report This Is Advanced Energy. 

Image courtesy of AEE member EnerNOC.

Image courtesy of BMW.

We’ve entered the mid-winter slump up here in the northern hemisphere, but don’t worry. Between news of major deals and investments and advanced vehicles making headlines at both CES and the Detroit Auto Show, things are certainly looking sunny for advanced energy in the week that was. 

To start this week’s recap off we have Sunrun and National Grid, which have entered into a partnership worth about $100 million. National Grid, a natural gas and electric utility that has more than 20 million customers in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island as well as the United Kingdom, has partnered with Sunrun to sell small-scale solar systems to residential consumers and small commercial customers. The initial goal is to install rooftop solar on 100,000 single family homes in downstate New York, but both companies expect something much larger soon.

Ohio gained national attention in the closing days of lame duck session as the legislature and Gov. John Kasich squared off over the future of state’s energy standards. Despite the Governor’s clear signal that he would veto any extension of the freeze instituted two years ago, the Ohio General Assembly passed HB554, which would have extended the freeze on the state’s energy standards by turning the benchmark requirements into voluntary goals for the state’s utilities through 2019. Despite the efforts of legislative leaders, who sought to pass the bill with veto-proof majorities, the vote fell short of reaching the threshold needed for an override. That set the stage for some end-of-session drama.