Advanced Energy Perspectives

Photo by Tom Burke, used under a Creative Commons license. 

The most important innovation coming along in electricity may not be a cutting-edge technology or a first-in-the-nation government policy. Rather, it might be a subtle, yet transformative, change in the way utilities meet their resource needs. Instead of prescribing specific technologies to meet future demand – typically, power plants of a particular type – and buying it or building it themselves, utilities are increasingly defining their needs and allowing all technologies and services that can meet those needs to slug it out. It’s an approach that can save money for customers, relieve regulators of unnecessary risk, and open up opportunities for advanced energy companies of all kinds.

Our electric transportation future is on the way – that much is not in doubt. Electric vehicles may currently account for just a small share of vehicle sales, but a high – and accelerating – growth rate is putting EVs on the agendas of public utility commissions (PUCs) around the country. To address the coming electrification of the vehicle fleet – from passenger cars to delivery vehicles, buses, and trucks – state regulators should take steps to maximize the benefits and minimize the challenges associated with this transportation transformation – seven steps, to be specific.

AEE and our member companies were busy meeting with gubernatorial candidates in nine states this fall. In Nevada, AEE and our member businesses sat down recently with Democratic nominee Steve Sisolak and his campaign staff to talk about the growth of the advanced energy industry, workforce development opportunities, and how Nevada can continue attracting businesses to the Silver State.

In August, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) released a report on Ohio’s electricity future, the product of an initiative coined PowerForward. The PowerForward report is a milestone in the state’s effort to revolutionize Ohio’s electrical grid, improve reliability and resilience, and incorporate new, innovative technologies to enhance the customer experience. AEE and our member companies have been involved all along the way. The process is far from finished, but the PowerForward roadmap points in the right direction – toward a modernized electric power grid, with utilities regulated in ways that take advantage of advanced energy technologies and services.  

Last week, AEE took a big step toward localizing and personalizing the advanced energy industry in nine states where we are engaged with the campaigns for governor. On web pages for each of the nine states, we posted profiles of employees of AEE member companies in the state and a scorecard where we show the stances of major-party nominees on the advanced energy policy priorities we shared with the campaigns previously, along with fact sheets on advanced energy jobs in the state. With less than two weeks to go in campaign season, this latest step in AEE’s Gubernatorial Engagement effort provides a voter’s guide for all those who work in advanced energy, or care about the economic opportunity advanced energy represents, with updates based on candidate platforms and public statements right up to Election Day.