states increasingly embracing energy issues, says report

More than 2,000 individual proposals related to power and energy challenges were filed last year in the nation’s state legislatures.

So says a new report issued by the Denver-based National Conference of State Legislatures, which says that of those 2,000 proposals, more than four hundred ended up as laws.

“Interest in cybersecurity for the energy sector is growing as state legislatures consider ways to enhance critical infrastructure defenses,” says the report 2018 Energy Trends Across State Legislatures.

“Many states are exploring broad grid modernization initiatives to address the United States’ aging and outdated electricity network, while also harnessing new and innovative technologies—from smart thermostats and electric vehicles to rooftop solar panels and energy storage,” the report continues.

In fact, renewable energy and energy efficiency-related bills last year dominated energy policy at the state level with nearly 1,000 bills introduced in state legislatures across the country.

States in the West have been particularly active in embracing new energy approaches, with Arizona and Colorado embracing renewable portfolio standards, while the Centennial State also passed energy storage legislation and net metering authorization.   

New Mexico introduced energy storage legislation, while implementing renewable portfolio standards, and net metering policies.

The NCSL report predicts increasing energy-related legislation at the state level for 2019, noting that bills this year have been filed that “support new and innovative technologies, and address challenges and needs related to aging infrastructure or traditional energy sources.”

Additional legislation this year will also explore the role that states can play in addressing carbon emissions, as well as “how the growth of electric vehicles may impact the electric grid.”

By Garry Boulard

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