Advanced Energy Perspectives

On February 5, AEE convened executives from 27 companies with an active interest in transportation electrification for a daylong session in San Francisco. The facilitated conversation focused executives on developing solutions to four roadblocks standing in the way  of vehicle electrification on an accelerated basis: 1) speeding up charging infrastructure deployment, 2) lowering vehicle purchase price, 3) increasing public awareness of electric vehicles (EVs) as viable options, and 4) dealing with the rise of organized opposition. The forum challenged participants to clearly define the obstacles facing the electrification industry and to brainstorm potential solutions. During the reception the night before and a full day of dialogue, participants had the opportunity to network and build relationships among charging infrastructure providers, vehicle manufacturers, utilities, financial entities, and renewable energy developers.

Last week, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) released their 8th annual “2020 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook,” revealing a decade-long transformation of the U.S. energy sector to cleaner advanced energy resources. The report shows that the United States experienced extraordinary change in how we produce, deliver, manage, and consume energy as we shifted to cleaner, more efficient resources since 2010. During the same period, the economy grew more energy efficient, more energy secure, and less carbon intensive, with the American consumer becoming the primary beneficiary. Building on last year’s findings, the 2020 Factbook comes up with some interesting conclusions, some of them self-evident, others more surprising:

On January 16, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) issued an order approving Utility Energy Efficiency and Building Electrification Portfolios Through 2025.  This is a robust order with strong heat pump and low-to-moderate-income programs. It is also a huge leap in the savings New Yorkers will get from making their homes and businesses more energy efficient. 

As the Indiana General Assembly passed the halfway mark of its session last week, the question of whether to offer a lifeline to costly coal plants came to the forefront for the second year in a row. Last year, the advanced energy industry claimed victory as the House rejected a proposal that would have placed a 20-month moratorium on Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) action on any matter involving more than 250 MW of generating capacity. This proposal would have locked in Indiana’s coal-fired generation for nearly two years and prevented Indiana’s utilities from pursuing their plans for advanced energy investment. Unsurprisingly, coal interests came back to the legislature this year looking for protection again. Despite rejecting the moratorium last year, a new proposal to require IURC approval before a utility can retire a coal plant was approved by the Indiana House. Now moving to the Senate, this bill is threatening to slow Indiana’s transition to investment in advanced energy. Here are the top five reasons the legislature should act to defeat this proposal:

Caption (clockwise, from top left): Ford's Bob Holycross shows off the Mustang Mach-E; Fleet Electrification Panel with AEE's Matt Stanberry, Jim Bruce of UPS, Lyft's Corey Ershow, and Colin Murchie of EVgo; GM-Chevy's Kyle Suba touts 259-mile range of 2020 Bolt; VW's Mark Gillies describes mass-market EV plans.

In late January, AEE hosted its second annual EV press tour at the 2020 Washington Auto Show in Washington, D.C. We didn’t realize it would be a Super Bowl preview of sorts, given big ad buys touting hot new EV models from Audi, General Motors, and Porsche. But the Auto Show presented the perfect opportunity to update the media on U.S. and global trends driving market growth, identify associated policy issues, speak directly with auto manufacturers about their plans and strategies, and see the latest EV models firsthand. Joining us were reporters from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Examiner, Politico, Houston Chronicle, Electrek, Cheddar, E&E News, S&P Global, and Smart Cities Dive.