Advanced Energy Perspectives

By any measure, this year has been a doozy, and advanced energy has been in the headlines throughout. From the first American offshore wind power to the economic power of advanced energy to employ millions of people, advanced energy is a major growth market that shows no signs of stopping. All year long, we have been collecting clips (and links) on the top 10 news topics of 2016. Here is Part 1 of our two-part roundup of advanced energy news of the year, covering the first five. Be sure to check back next week for Part 2!

1) Finally! American Offshore Wind No Longer a Dream 

Offshore wind power in the U.S. has been a notion since Cape Wind was a twinkle in Jim Gordon’s eye, but it was long stymied by political (and NIMBY) interests. Last year’s top news round-up had some solid good news: construction had begun on the nation’s offshore wind installation, though it was not in Nantucket Sound.

A worker builds a Tesla in a California factory.

In the news this week: Jobs. Longtime readers of Advanced Energy Perspectives will know that this is not a new story, but a years-long trend of growing employment for everyday Americans in advanced energy industry jobs. This week we saw stories of jobs growth in Indiana, rust belt New York, and nationwide. Plus, as more and more Fortune 100 and 500 companies make commitments to advanced energy, states can put policies in place to ensure companies site advanced energy projects there, leading to greater employment across the country.

This week’s news was full of microgrids. From how technology developed for cryptocurrency is ushering in a shared energy economy to microgrids for marijuana grow operations, we’ve got a news roundup that sounds worthy of the darkest corners of the internet. It’s all above board, though, and part of a growing advanced energy industry!

This week’s biggest story was a late-breaking one: the Tesla and SolarCity merger, which, despite much armchair criticism, won shareholder approval handily. Tesla will pay $2.6 billion to acquire SolarCity, and the transaction should be complete in the coming days. Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO and Chair of the Board of SolarCity, abstained from the vote, as did several other shareholders who were on both sides of the transaction, but 85% of the shareholders who participated voted to merge. In response, Musk tweeted “Thanks for believing.”

Solar panels atop a Sam's Club in California.

What a week, huh? The election of President-elect Donald Trump dominated the headlines everywhere – even here on Advanced Energy Perspectives. Click here to read AEE’s memo to the Trump Transition Committee. There’s a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds, but something that hasn’t changed since Tuesday? Advanced energy is on the march. It’s a market that has grown nearly 30% in the U.S. since we started tracking in 2011, and we expect it to keep on growing. Check out these headlines from this week and last to see how AEE members and other companies are making American energy great every day.