Advanced Energy Perspectives

On March 8, Ohio Advanced Energy Economy (Ohio AEE) continued its series of meetings with Ohio gubernatorial hopefuls by sitting down with Attorney General Mike DeWine, the former U.S. Senator, and Republican frontrunner for governor.

In our meeting with Attorney General DeWine, a group of 10 companies with representatives from First Solar, Apex Clean Energy, Tradewind Energy, Schneider Electric, and Open Road Renewables among them, discussed the job creation potential associated with advanced energy. In addition, significant cost declines for renewable energy over the last decade (60% for solar and 80% for wind technology), improvement in grid reliability, and economic development that supports local schools in rural areas were key benefits that resonated with DeWine.

On March 6, Ohio Advanced Energy Economy (Ohio AEE) hosted an engaging roundtable chat with Ohio gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray, the former Ohio Attorney General who most recently served as director of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. As one participant put it, in this case, the picture does not do justice to the level of interest and engagement by Cordray as he sought to learn more about advanced energy technologies and companies and their impact on the state. He asked a lot of questions and conveyed genuine commitment to and support for expanding clean energy because it’s the right thing to do, it represents the future for Ohioans and we need to embrace it. 

The roundtable was the first in a series of meetings with the leading candidates for governor being organized by Ohio AEE. Through these roundtables, we hope to learn more about each candidate's vision for the state, and we hope they will learn more about the advanced energy industry that’s growing in Ohio.

Hollywood has the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the Emmys, and more, but the advanced energy industry has its own stars to celebrate, too! With awards season in full swing, last week, we recognized Representative Ryan Costello (R — PA, 6th District) with AEE’s Advanced Energy Leadership Award during Energy Forward: Driving Advanced Energy Growth, our annual gathering of AEE members and state and regional partners, Feb. 27-28. A theme that emerged throughout the two days was the need to more effectively share our stories. Just as the film industry looks to tell stories that make characters relatable, we need to tell stories that connect our industry — and the individuals within it — to the broader economy. We need to boost our ratings by making advanced energy hyper-local, highly relatable and personal.

As the nation’s top per capita manufacturing state – the No. 1 steel producer and No. 3 for cars – Indiana is an energy-intensive state, so saving energy means saving money here as much as anywhere. But cost is driven especially by turning on those last, most expensive power plants – or building new ones – to meet demand at its peak. Meeting peak demand is expensive; not only are wholesale electricity prices higher during those times, but about 10% of our state’s electric power infrastructure investments focus on serving load during just 1% of the hours of the year. If Indiana can shave or eliminate these expensive peaks it could reduce costs and improve reliability, because times of peak demand are also typically when the grid is most stressed. Our new report shows three ways that Indiana can reduce peak demand.

Image by Disney/ABC Television Group, used under Creative Commons license

What does 2018 hold for advanced energy? Plenty, when it comes to federal and state policy issues that could make or break business prospects for advanced energy companies. I hope all you advanced energy advocates are well rested, as the new year is going to be a busy one! Here is what we at AEE see on the policy horizon, with some opportunities – and battles – coming sooner than you’d think.