Energy Policy

Infrastructure Week allows us to reflect on the modernization needed to drive the new digital grid. A comprehensive view of the infrastructure elements needed to create a more efficient and sustainable energy landscape should include communications networks and embedded computing. Utilities, technology vendors and community leaders will need to work in collaboration to ensure all elements are considered for the digital grid to thrive.

The transition to a low-carbon economy is underway. This new research report from BSR, with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and ClimateWorks, highlights how collaboration with the financial industry can help address three specific market barriers and scale finance for clean energy action.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has committed to deploying 3 gigawatts of renewable energy throughout military installations by 2025. Military bases all over the world have taken a proactive approach in achieving these goals, with many implementing solar photovoltaic (PV) generation. Energy initiatives aside, increased deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as solar PV can integrate with comprehensive microgrid solutions that can help meet DoD goals and ultimately boost energy resilience and independence, especially vital for mission-critical facilities.

W. Scott Tew, executive director, Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR), a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, will speak to building owners and operators on energy efficient technologies and solutions at the Building Energy Summit. The event is scheduled to take place April 27 in Washington.

Historically, most utility capital investments focused on regulated generation and transmission assets that provided the basis for customer rates structures and returns. But the growing interconnectivity within utility assets and electric distribution networks now requires a more holistic approach to planning, and many regulators are requiring utilities to invest in distribution under similar reliability mandates to those governing generation and transmission markets.

Answering the call for increasing energy self-reliance, a grassroots electricity-sharing model is emerging. “Community microgrids,” comprising community-owned or subscribed solar PV and other renewable energy sources, offer participants and surrounding consumers the security of energy resilience in times of grid failure and protection from energy price increases driven by volatile energy markets.

San Diego's Poway Unified School District - $1.6 million in energy savings creates leverage for educational excellence.

General Motors earned the 2017 EPA ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence award for continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. GM’s commitment to reducing energy intensity saved $73 million in energy costs last year and avoided 388,000 metric tons of carbon emissions, equivalent to the electricity use of 57,000 U.S. homes.

For much of the past four decades, energy efficiency has been the focus of electricity cost-saving initiatives. We have changed light bulbs, swapped out old appliances, insulated our buildings, and added solar systems. The efficiency gains have slowed, however, and the next savings frontier will come from power efficiency.