Advanced Energy Perspectives

It's important that all stakeholders are included in the clean energy transition, bringing diverse perspectives to address challenges and opportunities. And, when we are given a platform to speak, it’s crucial that we are intentional about the conversations we have. 

A collective event summary by Heather O’Neill, Laura Bartsch, Jeremiah Holston, Kate Johnson, Meron Lemmi, Jeremy McDiarmid, Cheryl Pretlow, and Janeen Said.  

Last week, our team had the privilege of attending the 2024 AABE (American Association of Blacks in Energy) National Conference, representing Advanced Energy United and our member companies, specifically a coalition of our members who joined us in a shared sponsorship in support of the event: Caelux, CTC Global, DNV, LS Power, Microsoft, Pattern Energy, Sunrun, and Utilidata.

Our industry has a story to tell. It is a great story. It is the story of a growing, job-creating, economic engine of our society. It’s about an industry that is poised to leverage billions of dollars in federal and state funds into many billions more in private investment to transform our energy infrastructure and create the path to a cleaner, more reliable, more affordable energy future. It’s about the chance to bring people who have been ignored or excluded into the energy resource planning process to define and implement community benefit projects that are, in fact, beneficial.  

Last month, the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) held its annual Energy Policy Summit in Washington, DC. Bringing together leaders across the energy industry, AABE members and other attendees took on the challenge of discussing an ‘Expedient & Equitable Implementation’ of the most recent federal policies aimed at the national energy transition.  

Renewable energy is now the most cost-effective form of power, electric vehicles are competitive with gas combustion vehicles, and grid-edge business innovations and demand-side management technologies are revolutionizing the way consumers use and control their energy. Following the federal energy legislation boom in 2022, the advanced energy industry stands at the edge of an opportunity to grasp the clean energy goals that are being set throughout the country.  

But we won’t achieve these goals without significant changes to the way businesses engage with decision-makers and consumers. To get there, the industry needs a united, sustained approach from the businesses leading the transition.