With Solutions Provided by Advanced Energy Businesses, Emissions Reduction Is An Opportunity to Modernize the U.S. Electric System for the 21st Century
Washington, DC, July 30, 2014 – Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a national association of businesses making energy secure, clean, and affordable, today called targets set under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s draft rule for reduction of carbon emissions under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act “easy to achieve.” In testimony presented at EPA’s first hearing on its proposed Clean Power Plan, AEE offered support for the rule and also suggested ways to strengthen the contribution of advanced energy to reducing power plant carbon emissions.
“Advanced energy technologies make EPA’s targets easy to achieve,” said Graham Richard, CEO of Advanced Energy Economy. “With solutions like energy efficiency, renewable energy, and natural gas power generation reducing greenhouse gas emissions will not be difficult. Rather, it will become an opportunity to improve reliability, reduce costs, increase competition, and create new services for consumers.”
In testimony presented at today’s hearing, AEE called EPA’s Clean Power Plan “a historic opportunity to modernize our electric power system for the 21st century. This rule will drive investment in an electric power system that is sorely in need of it.” AEE also applauded EPA for mentioning by name several advanced energy technologies as means of achieving emissions reduction under the plan.
At the same time, AEE stated that EPA’s proposal underestimates the potential contribution of advanced energy technologies, especially renewable energy and energy efficiency, to emissions reduction. AEE called on EPA to make changes in its final plan to reflect the availability and market realities of advanced energy by:
- Strengthening the targets set for advanced energy technologies
- Allowing periodic review of targets to reflect technological progress
- Rewarding early use of advanced energy technologies
AEE’s written testimony is available here.
AEE also called on EPA to recognize the 40 technologies described in AEE’s Advanced Energy Technologies for Greenhouse Gas Reduction report as compliance options for states. The full report is available here.
“Advanced energy can contribute more to emissions reduction and electric system modernization than the Clean Power Plan currently anticipates,” said Richard.
Partner organizations that are part of AEE’s State Coalition are also testifying at EPA’s regional hearings on the Clean Power Plan. Arkansas Advanced Energy Association testified in Atlanta today, as did Interwest Energy Alliance in Denver. The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance will present testimony at the Pittsburgh on Thursday. AEE’s State Coalition includes 15 partner groups active in 23 states, representing more than 1,000 companies and organizations.
About Advanced Energy Economy
Advanced Energy Economy (aee.net) is a national association of businesses that are making the global energy system more secure, clean, and affordable. Advanced energy encompasses a broad range of products and services that constitute the best available technologies for meeting energy needs today and tomorrow. AEE’s mission is to transform public policy to enable rapid growth of advanced energy businesses.
