Advanced Energy Perspectives

As President Biden hit his 50-day mark in office, his administration remains committed to keeping campaign promises to stimulate economic growth through development of clean energy sources that address the challenge of climate change. With new leadership appointed by Biden, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is taking a fresh look at the relationship between states and regional wholesale markets. And the Democratic majority in Congress is gearing up for a recovery and infrastructure package that could stimulate investment in advanced energy resources on a large scale. All this adds up to a new day in Washington, D.C., for the advanced energy industry. What that new day looks like was the subject of a recent webinar featuring AEE policy experts and speakers representing advanced energy developers and buyers.

Setting out toward an advanced transportation future can feel like a mythic quest, given the array of investments, organizations, policies, and regulations required. Only a handful of states have truly embarked upon it, and none have reached the promised land yet. But a new entrant, Virginia, has embarked on that journey, and after a quick legislative session just ended, is making impressive headway.

So the United States Postal Service went shopping for what it called its “next generation” of delivery vehicles. But the USPS doesn’t go shopping like the rest of us, especially because, when it talks about “next generation,” the Postal Service means vehicles that it expects to be in service for decades. And especially when it’s doing so at a time when the entire auto industry is making a transition from internal combustion engines to electric drive trains, with automakers declaring an all-EV future and major fleet operators placing orders for all-electric trucks and delivery vans by the hundred thousands. So what can you call it when the USPS places an order for its next-generation vehicles based mostly on last-generation vehicle technology? We call it a missed delivery.

Since taking office on January 20, President Biden has begun to lay out his plan for addressing four intertwined crises facing the country: the public health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, the associated economic crisis, climate change, and a legacy of racial injustice traced back to our country’s earliest roots. He has signed a series of executive orders aimed at addressing these crises, including rejoining the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and outlining a whole-of-government response to climate change with a focus on clean procurement, environmental justice, and support for communities dependent on fossil fuel industries. And he has outlined plans to push two legislative packages: the American Rescue Plan, focused on immediate COVID-19 response, and the Build Back Better Plan, focused on economic recovery. While details of the Build Back Better Plan are still forthcoming, at its core is a massive investment in infrastructure, prioritizing clean energy, domestic manufacturing, and union jobs. At AEE, we have some ideas about how to get the most economic bang out of federal bucks by investing in advanced energy.

The Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) released its 2021 “SustainableEnergy in America Factbook” on February 18, providing an overview of U.S. energy market trends with a focus on sustainable energy. Amid a year of uncertainties from COVID-19, the Factbook demonstrates notable resilience in what it considers the sustainable energy sector. Although many market shifts will prove transient as global circumstances gradually return to normal, some industry changes are expected to have lasting impact. Here are the key Factbook takeaways: