Advanced Energy Perspectives

There is much discussion in the press about the high cost of rebuilding our transmission infrastructure to facilitate our clean energy future. There is much less discussion about the costs we are already paying associated with not moving quickly to rebuild our aging grid. Transmission is critical infrastructure, powering our 21st digital economy and keeping us all safe and protecting us when weather is extreme. Much of the U.S. transmission grid is long past its expected useful life.  

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) began this year by engaging stakeholders on energy efficiency. The pace was ambitious, but now progress has stalled. Through the Energy Efficiency Implementation Project (EEIP), stakeholders participated in biweekly working groups that ran from January through March culminating in a number of recommendations and best practices for the Commission. But the trail has since run cold; Now as ERCOT, Texas’ primary grid operator, issues rapid-fire notices asking Texans to voluntarily reduce their electricity use to avert a grid emergency, we are left to wonder when the Commission will take up the EEIP’s recommendations and unlock Texas’ full energy efficiency potential. 

This blog post is an excerpt from the Overview of the Advanced Energy Now 2023 Market Report, prepared for Advanced Energy United by Guidehouse Insights. This post is the third in a series of excerpts from the report.

Data is the lifeblood of a modern economy. Today, consumers are empowered with unprecedented data access in virtually all aspects of their lives. Yet the ability of utility customers to access their own energy usage data – and the means for them to easily share that data with the companies of their choice – is lagging. This is unfortunate, because making better use of energy usage data can provide a range of benefits, including achieving greater energy efficiency savings and smart energy management during times of peak electricity demand when costs are higher and the risks of power outages increase. That’s why we were surprised when the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) closed its investigation into how to enable this type of data access without taking any action. 

From July to August, Advanced Energy United hosted 23 candidate education meetings with six member companies for Virginia’s General Assembly candidates, Governor Youngkin’s policy team, and the Virginia Department of Energy in Richmond, Norfolk, Charlottesville, and McLean. These small group discussions provided a space for both new and seasoned candidates to ask questions and learn more about who we are, what we do, and how our member companies are saving consumers money, creating good-paying jobs, and generating new economic rewards while decarbonizing the American electricity grid and transportation sector.