Advanced Energy United Reports

AEE released this policy paper recommending five ways to modernize American’s energy infrastructure, driving private investment in advanced energy technologies for consumer and economic benefits.

The report examines potential for savings from reducing peak demand using three different market strategies: curtailing commercial and industrial electricity demand; installing more smart thermostats across Indiana’s residential sector; and deploying energy storage technologies.

Examining the impact of these strategies under scenarios representative of avoided costs in Indiana, the analysis shows that net benefits for electric ratepayers (total savings minus costs) range from $448 million to $2.3 billion over 10 years.

Throughout the economy, companies are finding efficiencies and operational benefits through services provided by third parties instead of physical assets that they own and manage.

However, under prevailing cost-of-service regulation, electric utilities may be discouraged from using such services, since they do not generate profits the way that investments in capital assets do.

The paper identifies key challenges, best practices, and strategies for consideration by state and federal policymakers and regulators, as well as utilities and technology providers, to keep the evolving energy system safe from cyberattack.

Intended to inform decision makers about ways to make a power grid (characterized by widespread introduction of advanced and intelligent energy technologies) secure against cyberattack, the paper highlights: cybersecurity threats; eight cybersecurity best practices; policy and regulatory frameworks; seven specific protective measures and protocols for grid operators; and six overall recommendations.

Nationally, the advanced energy industry now supports more than 3 million U.S. jobs — twice as many as building construction.

These jobs are made possible by the growth of markets for these products and services in this country. AEE’s Advanced Energy Now 2017 Market Report found that total U.S. revenue from the wide range of advanced energy goods and services was $200 billion in 2016, more than pharmaceutical manufacturing in this country.

On Sept. 30, the U.S. Dept. of Energy announced a proposed rulemaking for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under its authority in Section 403 of the Federal Power Act to urge FERC to provide out-of-market financial support to uneconomic coal and nuclear power plants.

On Sept. 26, 2017, AEE Vice President for Federal Policy Arvin Ganesan testified before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee's Energy Subcommittee, in its "Powering America" hearing series.

The U.S. utility sector has entered a period of foundational change, not seen since the restructuring of the late 1990s. Change is being driven by new technologies, evolving customer needs and desires, environmental imperatives and an increased focus on grid resiliency.

With these developments come challenges, but also new opportunities to create an energy system that meets the changing expectations of consumers and society for the coming decades. We call this the 21st Century Electricity System: a high-performing, customer-focused electricity system that is efficient, flexible, resilient, reliable, affordable, safe, secure and clean.

This Is Advanced Energy profiles 52 distinct technologies and services that make up advanced energy today: how they work, how they are currently deployed, and how they are changing our energy system.

Across the country, these technologies are being used to lower costs for consumers, improve reliability and resilience, offer more customer choice and control, and increase market competition.

Voluntary renewable energy tariffs are quickly emerging as one of the key tools to meet growing corporate renewable energy demand in vertically integrated markets.

Participation in renewable energy tariffs has grown steadily over the past five years, and improvements in program design have continued apace. A report from Advanced Energy Economy Institute and a companion policy brief from AEE provide guidance for the design of successful renewable energy programs in regulated markets.