Advanced Energy Perspectives

In August, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) released a report on Ohio’s electricity future, the product of an initiative coined PowerForward. The PowerForward report is a milestone in the state’s effort to revolutionize Ohio’s electrical grid, improve reliability and resilience, and incorporate new, innovative technologies to enhance the customer experience. AEE and our member companies have been involved all along the way. The process is far from finished, but the PowerForward roadmap points in the right direction – toward a modernized electric power grid, with utilities regulated in ways that take advantage of advanced energy technologies and services.  

 In April 2017, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) launched PowerForward, an effort to study how Ohio could revolutionize its electrical grid, improve reliability and resilience, and incorporate new, innovative technologies in order to enhance the customer experience of all Ohio electricity customers. This initiative has called upon industry leaders to lead conversations ranging from integrating DER into the evolving grid to incorporating electric vehicles and their infrastructure onto the electric system, to redesigning Ohio’s ratemaking and rate design structure to inspire investments in innovative energy resources. AEE and its member companies have been right in the mix.

The 2018 legislative session of the Virginia General Assembly ended Saturday, capping a two-month sprint that included breakthrough legislation that will accelerate renewable energy development and energy efficiency investment in the Commonwealth, with AEE engaged all the way. But the legislature left behind some unfinished business: while much ink has covered the Assembly’s inability to pass a budget, lawmakers also failed to reach consensus on appointing a new member of the State Corporation Commission (SCC), which has potential implications for Virginia’s advanced energy future.

Here is a look back at the progress we have made, and ahead to unfinished business, as we work to build a greater presence in the Commonwealth and expand the market for advanced energy companies.

 A successful transition to a 21st Century Electricity System requires careful consideration of a range of issues that will ultimately redefine the regulatory framework and utility business model while creating new opportunities for third-party providers and customers to contribute to the operation of the electricity system. In this third in a series published by Utility Dive, AEE explores traditional and "pay for performance" approaches to energy efficiency (EE). 

A successful transition to a 21st Century Electricity System requires careful consideration of a range of issues that will ultimately redefine the regulatory framework and utility business model while creating new opportunities for third-party providers and customers to contribute to the operation of the electricity system. In this second of a 7-part series published by Utility Dive, AEE lays out strategies for achieving performance-based regulation. Previously, we covered Advanced Meters: Connectivity for the Modern Grid.