PACE is Thankful for Progress in 2017

Borrowing from David Letterman, PACE has assembled a Top 10 list of energy policy developments, people and institutions that energy consumers can give thanks for this year. In no particular order:

1. Renewed efforts to (safely and in an environmentally friendly manner) explore, map and perhaps one day develop our country’s abundant natural resources.
2. Rollback of WOTUS and the Clean Power Plan.
3. Introduction of multiple model lines of affordable, versatile electric vehicles for commuters and commercial uses.
4. The open and vigorous discussions of reliability/resilience, how America’s power mix is changing, and what it should look like in the future.
5. “Energy Dominance” – it’s relief to be able to talk about it purposefully.
6. Developments and growth in the energy storage and renewable energy fields.
7. Bipartisan leadership and staff of the House Energy & Commerce and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committees, who keep digging in on tough questions and moving the ball forward on legislation despite the challenging environment for getting things done.
8. The return of a fully stocked Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and an incredibly productive fall of whittling down the backlog.
9. Public servants in federal agencies, state commissions, and state legislatures who implement and oversee complex regulations and help consumers every day, even though most of them will never know it.
10. The men and women in the energy industry who keep lights on, gas flowing and fulfill the obligation to serve 24/7, 365 even in the face of sometimes incredible odds.