Advanced Energy Perspectives

TAEBA members hold a virtual meeting with Rep. Four Price, a candidate for re-election to the Texas House of Representatives, top left.

Texas is the national leader in energy. As the undisputed leader in wind generating capacity with an interconnection queue stacked with almost exclusively wind, solar, and energy storage, and with billions of market potential available for distributed energy resources such as solar, demand response, storage, and electric vehicles, advanced energy is poised to play a key role in accelerating economic recovery, building a more resilient Texas, fostering market competition, and lowering customer electricity bills. Next year, as in all odd-numbered years, the Texas Legislature will meet for 140 days starting on the second Tuesday in January to consider the state’s regular business. The Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (TAEBA) will be actively engaged in the legislative session, working to expand opportunities for advanced energy in 2021. But we recognize that policymakers need to learn more about the many benefits advanced energy can bring to Texas – and the best time to educate them is when they’re running for office.

AEE members and staff hold virtual meeting with Indiana state Sen. Andy Zay (R-Huntington), now a candidate for re-election.

Indiana has quietly become a major market for advanced energy. Two utilities, the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO) and Vectren, have announced plans to shift their resource mix from predominantly coal to mostly advanced energy resources, including wind, solar, storage, and demand side management. This shift is largely driven by economics, as the two utilities have estimated that ratepayers will save over $4.3 billion from these investments. But in the past two sessions, the Indiana legislature has been consumed with legislation aimed at delaying the retirement of uneconomic coal plants. While AEE has been actively engaged in opposing such legislation, which would prevent investment in advanced energy resources, and had some success in making the law passed last year less harmful, this engagement has also made us recognize that policymakers need to learn more about the benefits advanced energy can bring to Indiana – and the best time to teach them is when they’re running for office. 

Advanced energy momentum is building in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Last week, Gov. Ralph Northam met with 10 AEE member companies – executives from Apex Clean Energy, CLEAResult, EnelX, EVgo, Greenlots, Microsoft, Schneider Electric, Sun Tribe Solar, Veolia, and Volkswagen of North America. The Governor opened the meeting by asking the companies to share what Virginia can do to help them create more jobs in the Commonwealth. He had recently issued an Executive Order calling for 100% carbon-free energy by 2050, with 30% of Virginia’s electric power coming from renewable energy sources by 2030. Shortly thereafter, Virginia AEE released a study that showed the economic benefits – in bill savings, jobs, and economic growth – of meeting the 100% clean energy goal by 2050, if not before. There’s much work to be done, but the path to an advanced energy future for Virginia is clear.

The first week of May marked the close of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ first legislative session. During the 120-day session Colorado legislators passed more than 13 energy-related bills. These bills covered a wide range of pro-advanced energy topics, from exploring and enabling utility business model reform, to updating the state’s building codes for energy efficiency, to expanding tax-credits for electric vehicles (EV) and reducing barriers to EV charging infrastructure. Advanced energy legislation is sweeping the West – and Colorado is no exception.

Nevada scored a major win for advanced energy last week, when Governor Steve Sisolak signed a new, stronger clean energy standard into law. SB 358, sponsored by Sen. Chris Brooks, doubles the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), to 50% by the year 2030. Passing both houses of the legislature without a single no vote, the RPS legislation was the latest – and biggest – step toward Nevada becoming an advanced energy leader nationally. It was also a source of satisfaction for AEE and member companies involved in our Gubernatorial Engagement work in the Silver State last year.