Advanced Energy Perspectives

Driving would be so much easier if the car drove itself. Also safer and more efficient – no falling asleep at the wheel; no tailgating drivers creeping up on you, or fender-benders that cause traffic tie-ups. Also, no more jack-rabbit starts and slam-on-the-brakes stops, which waste fuel. So far, they’re just in the testing phase, but driverless cars could be the future of personal transportation, and a few states are getting ready for them.

On the eve of Congress’s August recess, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) moved to address S.1392, the latest version of energy efficiency legislation proposed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH). The duo has pushed essentially the same provisions in previous iterations of the bill over the last three years, to no avail. Reid’s move ensures at least that S.1392 will be one of the lawmakers’ first orders of business upon return to Washington September 9.

Earlier this month, four former EPA administrators for Republican presidents wrote an op-ed for the New York Times that made what they called the “Republican case for climate action.” Serving under Presidents Nixon, Reagan, and both Presidents Bush, they wrote, “we held fast to common-sense conservative principles — protecting the health of the American people, working with the best technology available and trusting in the innovation of American business and in the market to find the best solutions for the least cost.” Investment in advanced energy, they wrote, is “inarguably the path we must follow to ensure a strong economy along with a livable climate.”

This week Tesla Motors released its Q2 revenue numbers, which, as Greentech Media pointed out, “crushed” the company’s second quarter projections. The company’s Q2 revenue was $405 million, beating out expectations by $22 million and bringing Tesla’s 2013 revenues to $956 million for the year. According to Motor Authority, so far this year Tesla has recorded a net income of $41 million. Share prices of Tesla jumped 14% following the announcement.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is convening this week in Chicago to adopt recommended policies for the coming year.  ALEC, which is tied financially to the Koch Brothers, is the organization behind this year’s unsuccessful attempts to repeal state RPS policies.