AES Indiana’s Post

In my most recent opinion editorial published in the Indianapolis Business Journal and The Indianapolis Star, I discuss how AES Indiana's proposed plans to repower Petersburg Units 3 & 4 from coal to natural gas is more affordable and more reliable in the short and long term. If approved, this will will save customers approximately $240 million over a 20-year period by avoiding the additional operational and maintenance costs associated with operating Peterburg as a coal-fired resource. By transitioning from coal to natural gas, we are lowering costs and ensuring the most reliable energy for our customers. #energyfuture #Indianaenergy #AES

It’s an honor to have been elected to the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) Board of Directors. CEBA’s mission deeply resonates with me, and its history parallels my personal career path, as I’ve long-worked to remove the obstacles that impede clean energy procurement. CEBA aims to cultivate a global community of energy customers that drive clean energy adoption, and its impact is undeniable — in 2023, CEBA members were involved in 72% of all clean energy deals in North America. As a board member I’ll represent CEBA’s service provider members, which include energy and sustainability consultancies, software and data providers, financial services companies, and other organizations advancing the energy transition. Many of CEBA’s service provider members are already part of the LevelTen ecosystem, so I hope I can bring some insight into their evolving needs. I’d like to thank Rich Powell and the entire CEBA leadership team for bringing their passion and expertise to the cause, as well as former CEOs Kevin Hagen and Miranda Ballentine, whose immense contributions helped the CEBA become the force it is today. At the first CEBA meeting in 2016, when BSR, RMI, World Resources Institute and World Wildlife Fund formed an alliance with 60 participating companies, the leadership proposed a ten-year corporate procurement target of 60 GW. At the time, that target seemed outlandish. Incredibly, Member companies exceeded that ambitious goal. We should have all the confidence in the world that, working together, we can tackle the next set of difficult climate challenges. I look forward to working with the entire CEBA community to push the industry forward, tackling important new areas like granular procurement (24/7 carbon-free energy and emissions-first procurement), and working to bring vital infrastructure policy to fruition. 

⚡️Ontario innovators in energy storage are transforming how we produce, store, and deliver affordable, reliable, and clean energy— powering Ontario’s industries and families across the province. I shared more at a keynote about Ontario’s energy leadership at Energy Storage Canada this morning.

Did you know zero-carbon power provided the majority of Minnesota's energy for the fourth consecutive year? Get the facts — download the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) & Clean Energy Economy Minnesota's Minnesota Energy Factsheet today: https://lnkd.in/eFM9s4Yx

Make sure to read about Local Energy Markets Alliance (LEMA) in the Energy Manager Magazine and the benefits of Local Energy Markets. #lema #distributedenergy #netzero

SynZero is Synergize's dedicated division focused on helping buildings throughout the UK meet their Net Zero goals. From external and cavity wall insulation to renewable heating and energy installations, SynZero's goal is to drive meaningful improvements in energy efficiency and sustainability. Hear more from SynZero's Director, Mark Jones, as he shares insights on the impactful work being done by this specialised team.

Last year was a record year for clean energy investment in the U.S. — and this year is off to an even stronger start. In the first quarter of 2024, private investment in clean energy and electric vehicles reached $71 billion, a new quarterly record for the country. According to a recent reportby the Clean Investment Monitor, a joint project of the Rhodium Group and MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, the figures for Q1 represent almost a 40percent increase from the first quarter of 2023. via Maria Virginia Olano and Canary Media Inc.

MACP, represented by Rebecca Davis, is honored to be a member of the Healey-Driscoll Administration's recently announced Energy Transformation Advisory Board. The formation of the board is a pivotal step which underscores Massachusetts' commitment to a sustainable future, and positions us at the forefront of the clean energy revolution. The Advisory Board, comprised of a diverse coalition including utilities, technology innovators, business leaders, environmental justice advocates, and more, will play a crucial role in guiding the state's transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Together, we will advise the newly established Office of Energy Transformation (OET) in accelerating the electrification of buildings and transportation, ensuring affordability, equity, and resilience across the electric grid. Under the leadership of OET Executive Director Melissa Lavinson, the Advisory Board will focus on three priority areas: 🛳️ transitioning from the Everett LNG Terminal, 🏭 decarbonizing peaker plants, and 💵 developing alternative financing mechanisms for the energy transition. These initiatives align with Massachusetts' ambitious goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Read more about the advisory board: https://lnkd.in/e6D6RdQk We look forward to leveraging our collective expertise and passion to drive meaningful change, supporting Massachusetts' position as a leader in clean energy innovation. #CleanEnergy #EnergyTransformation #Sustainability #ClimateAction #MassachusettsLeadership #MALeadingtheCharge

"... At least 305 major clean energy projects have been announced in 40 states and Puerto Rico since the IRA passed, Timberlake said, totalling more than $123 billion in capital investments. The Midwest, he added, has received about a quarter of those funds. The growth in clean energy investments has been especially strong for electric vehicles. Despite a recent slow down in sales, EV adoption has been astronomical over the last three years. Americans bought nearly 1.2 million electric vehicles last year, setting a record and making EVs the fastest-growing category for car sales, according to Kelley Blue Book data. EVs comprised 7.6 percent of the total U.S. vehicle market in 2023, up from 5.9 percent in 2022. The rapid growth of EVs has been a major boon to Midwest manufacturing work, Timberlake said. Last month, carmaker Toyota announced that it was investing $1.4 billion to expand its EV manufacturing operations in Princeton, Indiana. The company said the project will create 340 new jobs. And last year, electronics giant LG and carmaker Honda began construction on a $4.4 billion jointly owned plant that will manufacture electric vehicle batteries in Jeffersonville, Ohio, and is expected to create some 2,200 new jobs. Since 2022, Timberlake said, the number of clean energy manufacturing jobs rose by 18 percent in Michigan, 17 percent in Indiana and 18 percent in Ohio. “I think electric vehicles could soon be the second biggest employer in the U.S. for clean energy jobs,” he said. “They’re fast approaching the total employment for renewable energy.” Of course, the Midwest isn’t the only region seeing a major injection of cash. The South, and particularly the Southeast, has received the majority of announced capital investments since 2022, with many believing the region is set to become the nation’s leading green energy hub. The top three states on E2’s investment analysis are North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina, which together have garnered nearly $50 billion since 2022. Timberlake said that Southeast states, which exclude Texas and Oklahoma, have received about a third of all the private investments for clean energy projects following the IRA’s passage. “Obviously the Southeast deserves to get a lot of recognition,” he said. “But the Midwest is right there on its heels.”"

Looking forward to a great discussion - thanks to Ipieca for creating dialogue across industry siloes: systemic (re)thinking, collaboration and leveraging all available strengths are what is needed to rise to transition challenges. 🎦 You can also catch up on the rest of the webinar series here: https://lnkd.in/e5TqnEMs #responsibleinvestment #responsiblesourcing #responsiblerawmaterials