Advanced Energy Perspectives

This is the second of five blog posts adapted from the new book “Zero Hour: Time to Build the Clean Power Platform,” by Reed E. Hundt, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and Board Member of the Advanced Energy Economy Institute. Read all the posts here. Buy the book: Amazon | Google | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | EbookMall

This is the first of five blog posts adapted from the upcoming book “Zero Hour: Time to Build the Clean Power Platform,” by Reed E. Hundt, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and Board Member of the Advanced Energy Economy Institute. 

Modern life rests on two electromagnetic wave platforms: knowledge and power. The former comprises the mobile and Internet networks that have circumnavigated the globe and changed social and economic life, mostly for the better and absolutely forever, in just two decades. The latter consists of the electricity and transportation systems that produce the air pollutants which in the next two decades will destroy the global environment – unless the power platform changes as quickly and totally as the knowledge platform has done.

Municipalities are key markets for advanced energy technologies, products, and services. With concentrations of buildings, vehicles, and infrastructure, cities are the proving grounds for new ways to manage energy, water, and waste. This guest post is excerpted from the conclusion of “The Guide to Greening Cities.” The authors are members of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, and their new book chronicles efforts by city governments in the United States and Canada to make their communities not only more environmentally responsible but more resilient. Published by Island Press, the book is on sale at 50 percent off this week only, through October 28.

Early this year there was a great deal of public discourse around efforts to roll back state renewable portfolio standards (RPS), but not all the RPS action in state legislatures this year has been negative. In total, there are 121 unique proposals introduced since January to increase, modify or rollback state RPS policies. As this year’s session comes to a close in most states, its time to take stock of how RPS polices have fared. 

Guest post by Peter Rothstein, President of the New England Clean Energy Council, an AEE partner organization. 

The recent passage of a bill updating Connecticut’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), S 1138, was the culmination of a protracted education, advocacy and negotiation effort, with significance for the entire New England region.