News

Senate Bill 448 assures new investment in transportation electrification infrastructure and sets up Nevada to lead a regionally interconnected electricity system in the West.

CARSON CITY, June 10, 2021 — Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) applauded Governor Sisolak’s signing of Senate Bill 448,* which jumpstarts investment in electric transportation infrastructure and requires state utilities to join a regional transmission organization (RTO) by 2030. The bipartisan bill was passed by the Assembly on May 31 (vote 32-10), following unanimous approval in the Senate.

Utility Dive outlined the proposed Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM) and responses from FERC, citing a comment from AEE. Read snippets below and the full article here.

The renewables industry and other stakeholders looking for broader market reforms in the Southeast view SEEM skeptically, but the utilities behind the proposal say the plan is a modest yet important step to using resources in the region more efficiently.

Augusta Free Press summarized the unveiling of Powhatan Elementary School’s new solar energy facilities, featuring comments from Virginia AEE's Harry Godfrey. Read snippets below and the full article here.

Virginia Advanced Energy Economy hosted lawmakers Tuesday for the unveiling of Powhatan Elementary School’s recently completed solar energy rooftop array.

Virginia AEE, Sun Tribe, and BrightSuite host U.S. Representative Spanberger, State Senator Hashmi, and State Delegate Ware to tour new school solar rooftop array, illustrating significant energy cost savings, benefits of Virginia Clean Economy Act, employment growth for the Commonwealth.

POWHATAN, VIRGINIA, June 8, 2021 — Today, business group Virginia Advanced Energy Economy (Virginia AEE), its member, Virginia-based solar developer Sun Tribe, and BrightSuite Solar, a subsidiary of Dominion Energy, hosted Virginia and U.S. congressional lawmakers for the unveiling of Powhatan Elementary School’s recently completed solar energy rooftop array. The project illustrates the impact of Virginia’s Clean Economy Act and growing advanced energy employment across the Commonwealth, expected to increase by 8% according to AEE’s latest jobs fact sheet. The solar arrays at Powhatan County Public Schools were developed through a partnership between BrightSuite and Sun Tribe.

Utility Dive summarized Colorado’s decision to require transmission utilities to join a regional wholesale power market by 2030, citing comments from AEE’s Emilie Olson. Read snippets below and the full article here.

A bipartisan bill requiring all Colorado transmission utilities to join an organized wholesale market by 2030 cleared the Colorado legislature last Thursday, drawing praise from both advocates and utilities.

E&E News summarized a letter from former FERC members urging the organization to develop RTOs nationwide, citing a supportive tweet from AEE’s Jeff Dennis. Read snippets below and the full article here.   

Nine former members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are urging it to help spur the development of organized power markets, which they say are needed nationwide to support clean energy.

The Christian Science Monitor summarizes the shift of the dominant climate narrative from climate change debate to economic progress with a focus on Illinois, citing an AEE report. Read snippets and the full article here.

For years, the dominant narrative of climate action was one of trade-offs and costs – that saving the world as we know it meant taking hard steps to reduce carbon emissions, and likely sacrificing jobs and lifestyle in the process.

Colorado House passed bipartisan Senate Bill 72, calling for a multi-state regionally interconnected electricity market to improve grid resilience, reliability, and reduce customers’ energy costs.

DENVER, June 3, 2021 — Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) applauded passage of Senate Bill 72* (SB 21-072) by the Colorado House on a strong bipartisan 49-15 vote. SB 72 enables critical investments in the electricity infrastructure needed to reliably transport clean energy across the state and region, and requires state utilities to join a regional transmission organization (RTO) by 2030. Having passed the Senate on a bipartisan vote of 28-6 in April, SB 72 heads to the Governor’s desk. 

Prasanna Venkatesan, EVP and Head of Americas, Landis+Gyr, will chair national business group; three new AEE board members named; immediate past chair and co-founder Hemant Taneja remains a board member of affiliated Advanced Energy Economy Institute.