Advanced Energy Perspectives

Municipalities are key markets for advanced energy technologies, products, and services. With concentrations of buildings, vehicles, and infrastructure, cities are the proving grounds for new ways to manage energy, water, and waste. This guest post is excerpted from the conclusion of “The Guide to Greening Cities.” The authors are members of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, and their new book chronicles efforts by city governments in the United States and Canada to make their communities not only more environmentally responsible but more resilient. Published by Island Press, the book is on sale at 50 percent off this week only, through October 28.

On Thursday, California’s Public Utility Commission adopted a new energy storage mandate—the first in the nation. The mandate requires California’s investor-owned utilities – PG&E, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric – to expand their energy storage capacity. Collectively, the three utilities need to buy more than 1.3 gigawatts of energy storage.

In April, Advanced Energy Economy convened industry leaders in energy efficiency from around the country for a meeting in Austin, TX. The purpose was to identify state policy initiatives that had the greatest potential for growing their segment of the advanced energy industry.   The product of this discussion is the new report “Reducing Energy Waste in the United States: Conclusions from AEE’s Industry Policy Forum on Energy Productivity.”

There’s an old way of thinking about energy efficiency. Humans have been installing better insulation and sealing up cracks in walls ever since the first caveman moved indoors. The field has advanced since then: We can buy efficient appliances, install double-paned windows, and replace old lights. Each of these measures reduces energy consumption and saves money. Today’s technology, however, promises to do so much more.

The U.S. government lies dormant on this 10th day of a partial government shutdown, paralyzed by lawmakers’ failure to agree on a continuing resolution that would fund the government for FY 2014. President Obama, who has been on the fringe of the fight, met yesterday with Republican and Democratic Representatives and will with meet today with their Senate colleagues in an attempt to intervene. Republican leaders, having conditioned their support for a spending bill on gutting funding for Obamacare, yesterday signaled a willingness to compromise. One stage over, the clock is ticking for lawmakers to raise the nation’s debt ceiling and keep the government paying its bills. There were reports early Thursday that House Republicans may be open to a short-term debt limit increase with no added policy changes.