Advanced Energy Perspectives

Top executives in the Texas advanced energy sector met last week in Austin for an Executive Forum put on by the Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (TAEBA). The topic: The Next Frontier in Texas Electric Competition: Integrating Storage and Distributed Energy Resources. The exclusive gathering drew over 25 key figures in business and regulation, including Public Utility Commission of Texas Commissioner Arthur D’Andrea, ERCOT CEO Bill Magness, and former PUCT and FERC Chairman Pat Wood. Industry leaders participating included executives from Greenlots, EVgo, CPower, Enel X, Landis & Gyr, Recurve, Savion, Siemens, Stem, Demand Side Analytics, ENGIE North America, Hunt BEE Network, and Rocky Mountain Institute. The daylong session was co-hosted and sponsored by Eversheds-Sutherland and Husch Blackwell and moderated by TAEBA’s Suzanne Bertin and AEE’s Caitlin Marquis.

Top executives and policy makers recently gathered for a forum on a set of advanced energy technologies not always at the center of attention. At the AEE Executive Forum, entitled Microgrids, Energy Storage, and Renewable Natural Gas: Capturing Value for Consumers, the focus of the conversation was on the opportunities presented by the adoption of these technologies and the challenges of bringing them to scale. “For this forum, AEE brought together senior leadership from member companies, entrepreneurs and investors, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, and investor-owned utilities to address fundamental policies to strengthen our industry’s ability to transform the market and deliver resilient and reliable renewable energy,” said AEE CEO Nat Kreamer. Over dinner and a daylong dialogue, participants in this exclusive event also had the opportunity to network and build relationships among providers, utilities, regulators, and institutional customers.

Left to right: Arizona Corp. Commission Chairman Bob Burns, Nevada Public Utilities Commissioner Hayley Williamson, Colorado Public Utilities Commission Chairman Jeffrey Ackermann, and AEE Managing Director Ryan Katofsky

Throughout the West there is a bold vision from elected officials, advanced energy companies, and utilities of a 100% clean energy future. But what’s the path to 100% clean energy in the West? On October 16-17, in Scottsdale, AZ, AEE convened leaders in energy innovation, business, and government from across the western region to identify ways to achieve this goal, state by state and through a regional grid, powered by advanced energy growth from New Mexico to Washington state. It was a fitting focus for our first regional policy conference for states from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, Advanced Energy Now | West.

In May, we convened one of the hottest events exploring the intersection of U.S. finance and advanced energy with both national and state impacts — AEE’s Clean Street Meets Wall Street CEO Forum. Coming from a range of perspectives, participants delved into cutting-edge topics, including current risks and opportunities in today’s electricity markets, and trends in the advanced energy investment pipeline. The New York City event was also a Who’s Who for networking and side conversations with executives from the advanced energy industry, financial institutions, electric utilities, and technology companies.

Do we really need another conference to talk about energy? On June 13, in Richmond, VA, AEE answered that question with a resounding “yes,” as we launched our first regional policy conference, Advanced Energy Now | East, an event to showcase our members and our systems approach to policy transformation, for the purpose of increasing market opportunities for advanced energy companies. In a day packed with panels and breakout sessions, the more than 170 participants heard government and industry leaders speak on topics of vital interest to companies involved in a wide range of advanced energy technologies.