Advanced Energy Perspectives

Last week, the White House and Congress celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – IIJA, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Between IIJA and the more-recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the federal government has devoted almost $500 billion in grants, tax credits, and other incentives to accelerate America’s energy transition, electrify transportation, and address many of the energy-related challenges facing the nation. For all the attention paid to the work inside the Beltway, however, whether the U.S. realizes that potential hinges largely on what happens outside the Beltway.

On Friday, August 5, Virginia’s State Corporation Commission (SCC) provided its stamp of approval for construction of the Costal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project – a 2.6 GW wind farm located 27 miles off Virginia Beach. For Virginia, the project is cause for excitement, for its jobs and cost savings benefits, as well as its key role in the Commonwealth’s clean energy future. But as it will also be the first offshore wind farm built and owned by a regulated utility, and carrying a big price tag, it calls for particular scrutiny. And in SCC’s review and final order, that’s what it got.

On June 6, in response to skyrocketing oil and natural gas prices – an effect of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – President Biden took a pair of bold steps to kickstart U.S. production of secure, clean, reliable, affordable energy. Now the Administration and Congress need to follow through, ensuring the government’s deeds live up to the President’s words, and the near-term boost leads to permanent production capacity and manufacturing jobs.

On Saturday, March 12, the Virginia General Assembly (GA) adjourned its 2022 legislative session. Left unfinished were the Commonwealth’s biannual budget and a set of judicial appointments, necessitating a Special Session in the weeks ahead. Nonetheless, adjournment sine die at the end of the always frantic 60-day session marked the end of substantive legislative action. While the main focus was defense of the advanced energy progress made over the past two years, which was mostly successful, a couple of small but meaningful wins added to the total. And there was plenty of drama along the way.

It’s Labor Day! It’s a day not only for backyard BBQs and final dips in the pool, but also, and more importantly, a day to recognize the hard-working yet under-appreciated folks who built America, and keep it humming. For us at AEE, it’s also a day to provide some new resources for growing jobs in the advanced energy industry.