Advanced Energy Perspectives

The Department of Energy (DOE) made a provisional commitment to a $150 million loan guarantee for the Cape Wind offshore wind power project in Massachusetts yesterday. With that pledge, Cape Wind will have raised nearly 60 percent of the estimated $2.5 billion it needs to build what could be the nation’s first offshore wind farm.

The June 2 release of EPA’s proposed rule to reduce carbon emissions, with its approval of a range of advanced energy technologies for compliance, has raised all sorts of questions. In an examination of what it all means for energy efficiency and demand response, Utility Dive talked to Malcolm Woolf, SVP of policy and government affairs at AEE, who described some of the ways these advanced energy technologies can tap new economic value under EPA’s draft rule.

“Investments in efficiency lengthen your other investments,” Woolf said. Energy efficiency and demand response are products “that the grid does not yet really monetize, but that we can monetize, and I think this EPA rule will help us do that.”

Last week, Gov. Brown signed California’s state budget for 2014-15, which totals $156.3 billion, and the advanced energy industry fared well. Over the past several months, AEE participated in a series of hearings and meetings focused on the budget, as several appropriation issues directly impact our business members and the industry as a whole. The result was at least five key provisions we count as wins for the advanced energy industry in California.  

For anyone working to accelerate the growth of advanced energy through public policy, the frustration is familiar. State energy legislation and regulatory paperwork are hard to find and new developments harder to follow. Documents and records are buried in outmoded websites with confusing interfaces, with every state’s different. Staying on top of state energy policy has meant searching state by state and keeping track of information manually with lists and spreadsheets. Following new developments in more than one state has been a nightmare – and a big expense.

Today, AEE is pleased to offer a solution. PowerSuite is the only fully integrated set of online tools for tracking energy legislation and regulatory proceedings across all 50 states. Developed by our in-house software team, PowerSuite is available only from AEE.

Elon Musk skyrocketed back into the news this week with major announcements from both his advanced energy companies. Late last week, Tesla Motors released all of its patents to the public. According to Musk, the move was “in the spirit of the open source movement” and a “modest thing.” Musk expects the move will help the company recruit engineering talent, writing that it will make a difference to “the very best engineers.”