Advanced Energy Perspectives

This week's news includes some big news for the nascent American offshore wind industry and more calls for updates to the utility business model. Come along with us to the shores of Rhode Island for this week’s news round up.

This is the year, folks, it's finally happening! Offshore wind in the U.S.A.! Off the coast of Rhode Island, the Block Island project, which “broke water” last year, is set to install actual wind turbines that will actually deliver actual wind-generated electricity to the actual grid. This week GE Renewable Energy announced that the company is shipping five 6 MW offshore wind turbines to Rhode Island from the company’s manufacturing facility in France. From there, Deepwater Wind will install the turbines beginning in August, and voila! The race for offshore wind is over… or at least it has finally begun.

Over the last 18 months, the 114^th Congress has considered hundreds of bills, debated many policies, and passed legislation, at least in one chamber or the other. This Congress has even approved some measures crucial to the advanced energy industry. Specifically, the extensions of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and Investment Tax Credit (ITC) provide the certainty that many AEE member companies need to plan and thrive over the coming years – even if those extensions left out some other advanced energy technologies, such as fuel cells, combined heat and power, and storage.

But now, all eyes are focused on the energy bills passed separately by the House and the Senate. While the measures are miles apart in terms of scope, ambition, and politics, this week lawmakers ignited hope that a consensus, or at least compromise, bill may land on the President’s desk. But it wouldn’t be Congress if they weren’t going to wait until the last minute. The process moving forward is not a Madisonian delight, but it is at least starting to resemble the Schoolhouse Rock version of lawmaking.

This week’s transportation news was a rollercoaster, which is ironic only because the only thing lacking was advanced trains. Instead, we’ve got a new (old) player vying for the title of top electric car magnate, plus solar panels on boats and planes and cars. Plus, the latest from the wild world of utility mergers. Please keep your hands and feet inside the moving vehicle – it’s this week’s news round up!