Advanced Energy Perspectives

Last week at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, Advanced Energy United was joined by state legislators and a coalition of stakeholders advocating for electric school buses and a bill that would allow more school districts in the state to buy them. Legislators experienced the benefits of electric school buses firsthand, riding along in one provided by Steelton-Highspire School District, which procured new buses with funding from the federal government for clean transportation.  

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities held a public stakeholder meeting this week where Advanced Energy United and key allies spoke in favor of opening a prebuild infrastructure solicitation to support the development of offshore wind projects. 

The transmission project would allow 3,742 MW of offshore wind power to connect to the grid, supporting up to four different wind projects. 

Electric vehicles (EVs) continue to soar in popularity and, as they become more commonplace, it’s increasingly important for businesses and decisionmakers to not only understand the benefits, complexities, and future use cases for EVs, but also implement policy solutions to better prepare for the widespread transition to electrified transportation.  

Kicking off today and running through October 6 is National Drive Electric Week (NDEW), which aims to heighten awareness and highlight the benefits of today's widespread availability of all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. NDEW is a celebration of the transformative power of EVs to lower transportation costs for drivers, improve public health, and even improve electricity resilience for households and communities. During NDEW, there are several events hosted in various cities throughout the country, including EV showcases, test drives, presentations, and community engagement activities to educate the public about the advantages and positive economic and environmental impacts of EVs. 

Throughout the course of the year, Advanced Energy United has been growing, spreading our footprint across new states, increasing staff capacity, and, most recently, expanding our Board of Directors. This week, we officially recognize and welcome several new board members whose companies have made strategic commitments in support of our mission and our organization.

Advanced Energy United is the only industry association in the U.S. that represents the full range of advanced energy technologies and services, both grid-scale and distributed. The companies joining the Board – from industries as varied as transmission development, DER management, and vehicle fleet electrification – showcase the unique range of United’s transformative engagement where advanced energy business leaders collaborate on strategies that lead to market-changing policy. 

In the rapidly evolving energy landscape, a growing number of distributed energy resources (DERs) are being deployed on the grid, providing flexibility, resilience, cost savings, and clean energy to communities. However, as the number of grid-connected DERs grows, their full potential will only be realized if the right grid infrastructure is in place, including transmission systems that complement and support DER deployment.  

Yes, that’s right; getting the most out of DERs is not just about making changes to the distribution system. A new report by Strategen, Better Together: The Benefits of Coordination in the Development of Transmission and Distributed Energy Resources, explores the symbiotic relationship between transmission and DERs.