on the blog
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The numbers are staggering: 33 million Americans have lost their jobs since the start of the COVID pandemic, including nearly 600,000 in the advanced energy industry. And by the end of June, that number could hit 850,000. That would be nearly a quarter of the 3.6 million advanced energy jobs that existed at the start of the year – a time when advanced energy was a $238 billion a year industry in the United States, with employment that was growing nearly twice as fast as U.S. employment overall. For those of us who work in the industry, we know the new reality all too well, as emails bounce back not with “out of office,” but rather “no longer works here” or “has been furloughed.” It’s heartbreaking. But there are things state policymakers – especially governors and public utility commissioners – can do to prevent advanced energy business from coming to a complete halt during the public health crisis, and keep the advanced energy industry in a position to aid the economic recovery that follows. Here we lay out five ways state policymakers could do just that. Click here to continue reading the blog post>
Automakers are particularly vulnerable to economic downturns; just think back to the 2008-2009 financial crisis. So it should come as no surprise that EV sales, along with all others, are expected to drop in the coming year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. But in the long term, nothing has changed. Manufacturers are gearing up their EV offerings, EVs continue to grow their worldwide market share, and gas-powered vehicles have hit their peak. What’s next, especially in the United States, is for the charging station build-out to match the coming demand – and realize the job gains and global competitive advantage that could come from a federal charging-station investment. Click here to continue reading the blog post>
aee webinars
Recorded on Tuesday, May 19, at 3pm ET / 12noon PT
On April 11, Gov. Ralph Northam signed the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), making Virginia the first state in the Southeast United States to commit to 100% clean energy and setting 2045 as the target for reaching that goal. The new law sets specific requirements for energy efficiency, renewable energy (onshore and offshore), energy storage, and more. This makes Virginia, long a laggard in energy policy, a prime target for advanced energy growth, providing savings for consumers and jobs and investment for the Commonwealth. In this webinar, one of the legislative patrons of the VCEA and representatives of advanced energy companies discussed how the Act came to fruition and the opportunities for industry growth and economic benefit made possible by this landmark new law.
Panelists:
- Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-9th District)
- Rick Counihan, Global Lead Energy Product Policy & Regulation, Google
- Hayes Framme, Government Relations & Communications Manager, Ørsted
- Devin Welch, Chief Executive Officer, SunTribe Solar
- Harry Godfrey, Executive Director, Virginia AEE
Featured online events
Advanced Energy Now | East has moved online. Our first session was a huge success. We look forward to continuing the series with Session #2 on June 18 at 2-3:30pm ET, "Raising the Bar: How Can Wholesale Markets Help Reach 100% Clean Energy Goals?" If you are an AEE member, affiliated with an academic institution, government, credentialed media, or would like to register for all three sessions (including access to a recording of Session #1), please email [email protected] for discount codes.
Session #3 | July 30 at 2-3:30pm ET, "Raising the Bar: A Conversation with Advanced Energy Leaders on Getting to 100% Clean Energy"
