Advanced Energy Perspectives

Image courtesy of Jeff Grybowski, originally posted to Twitter.

It’s officially late August, and, if there’s any justice in this world, you’re reading this on your smartphone or tablet while lounging on a beach somewhere, feeling the sea breeze stir your hair. Even if you’re sitting in a stuffy office or cubicle farm, take a second to imagine the whiff of salt air, the cries of seagulls, and – and I can’t emphasize this enough – the sea breeze. That pleasant breeze is about to change the way some Americans get their electricity. It’s an offshore wind news update here on Advanced Energy Perspectives! (Bonus, if you read to the end: robot cars.)

Image courtesy of Tennessee Valley Authority.

Nuclear power generates about one-fifth of all electricity in the United States, but it’s had a rough 40 years or so. Between high upfront costs for installation, complicated permitting, rare but dramatic accidents, and general NIMBY, development of new U.S. nuclear facilities all but halted in the last part of the twentieth century. But that might be changing. In the news this week: new nuclear projects in the Southeast, new nuke-supporting policy in New York, and small modular reactors unveiling some of their secrets. It’s a physics-filled news update from Advanced Energy Perspectives.

Advanced energy is making our grid more agile, modern, and interconnected. Beyond just corralling electrons, advanced energy technologies, when used together, are more than the sum of their parts: solar + storage, demand response + distributed generation. This week, one story that demonstrates this interconnection dominated the headlines in both the trade press and beyond – the merger between Tesla and SolarCity. And it seems all but a done deal.

This week in advanced energy we saw more news of utilities merging (or not) and issues facing a California utility looking to install EV charging infrastructure – or monopolize the EV charging market in Northern California, depending on your point of view. All that, plus an all-electric heavy urban transport truck from Mercedes-Benz in this week’s news round up.

Advanced energy is sweeping the nation. Between cheap natural gas and cheap renewable energy, electricity costs are falling. Where is the joy and jubilation? Plus, PACE is back and better than ever, re-opening opportunities for low and middle income homeowners to make their homes energy efficient and solar powered. It’s all good – and all thanks to advanced energy. Tooting our own horn? You bet! Read on. Here is this week’s big news.