Advanced Energy Perspectives

To wrap up the year, we are taking a look back at 2013. For the first five of our Top 10 Advanced Energy News Stories of 2013, see Part One. Did we miss one of your favorite stories? Let us know in comments.

6) Fortune 500 companies invest in advanced energy 

Another major trend for 2013 was increased investment in advanced energy by major corporations of various types. Though investment in advanced energy is not a new trend, 2013 saw especially strong investment from private companies.

As discussed regarding data centers (see story #5 in Part One), Google has invested in wind and other renewable energies. The company also invested heavily to develop a transmission system that will act as a “backbone” for offshore wind farms. “At Google, we believe investing in renewable energy makes business sense,” wrote Needham, in a guest column for New Jersey’s Star-Ledger.

Walmart, the largest retailer in America, agrees. The company has continued its investment in advanced energy in general and solar energy in particular: Investing in solar panels on stores and distribution centers has made it the top non-utility private company for solar installations. “Investing in renewable energy and energy conservation are good for business, good for communities and good for the environment,” said Walmart CEO Mike Duke. “When we use less energy, that’s less energy we have to buy, and that means less waste and more savings for our customers.”

To wrap up the year, we are taking a look at the top advanced energy stories for 2013. Be sure to check in on Monday, when we will publish Part Two! [Here it is!] Did we miss one of your favorite stories? Let us know in the comments. 

1) Consumers take a spin in advanced vehicles

We began 2013 with the Tesla Model S being named Motor Trend Car of the Year. Then the Model S scored 99 out of 100 on its Consumer Reports Road Test and broke the safety test machine that was supposed to crush the car’s cab. The future continues to be bright for Tesla Motors and advanced vehicles as a whole: airless tires promised to increase vehicle efficiency, mass-market hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles were announced, as well as dual-fuel natural gas vehicles like the Chevy Impala and Ford F-150.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, released a discussion draft of energy tax reform on Dec. 18. This is the second discussion draft of elements of a comprehensive tax reform bill that could be put before Congress next year released by the chairman to date. Summary of the energy discussion draft can be found here; coverage here. There will be much analysis of this draft over the coming weeks.

The White House issued a Presidential Memorandum on Dec. 5 establishing new policies for federal energy management that amount to a significant commitment to the increased use of advanced energy in the Federal Government.  How this translates into concrete investments in efficiency, renewable energy, and other advanced energy technologies will ultimately depend on the extent to which agencies implement several of the voluntary provisions of the memorandum. 

This is the last in a series of blog posts adapted from the new book “Zero Hour: Time to Build the Clean Power Platform,” by Reed E. Hundt, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and Board Member of the Advanced Energy Economy Institute. Read all the posts here.

Buy the book: 

Amazon | Google | Kobo | Barnes and Noble |EbookMall 

1. Hurry Up, It's Time.  Technological change is making clean energy solutions ever cheaper and easier to adopt. The urgency of abating greenhouse gas emissions means that new financing, backed by taxpayers, should support these technological solutions right now. The United States should lead the way to the new power platform.