Electric Co-op Today

A group of high-tech leaders has called on the federal government to increase its “support and leadership” for the development and demonstration of new energy technologies.

AEIC members Ursula Burns and Bill Gates discuss the high-tech leaders group’s report asking for increased federal support. (Photo By: AEIC)

The American Energy Innovation Council, which includes Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt, and current and retired leaders of corporate giants such as Lockheed Martin, Xerox, Cummins, DuPont and Bank of America, set out the position in a recent report, “Catalyzing American Ingenuity.”

“There is no way to make the progress this country requires without increasing federal support for energy innovation across the entire innovation spectrum,” the council specified.

The group’s members “are all big believers in innovation,” Gates said at a Capitol Hill briefing.

The council’s stance on innovation is in line with NRECA positions supporting aggressive research and use of technology, noted John Hewa, the association’s vice president, research, engineering and technical services.

Hewa cited “The Electric Cooperative Platform for Our Energy Future,” which states, “We believe a strong public-private partnership for research and development is essential to guide and fund new technologies that improve the use of electricity and help meet public policy goals.”

“Electric cooperatives continually act on their commitment to wise and efficient energy use,” Hewa said. “NRECA member systems aggressively promote more efficient use of electricity. There are countless programs in action at cooperatives across the country that demonstrate this.”

“Co-ops are certainly seeking innovation,” added Robbin Christianson, director of program operations and business management at NRECA’s Cooperative Research Network. “NRECA members have downloaded CRN reports and articles on cooperative.com more than 15,000 times since July 1.”

Accordingly, NRECA backs increased support for energy innovation, and agrees with the council on the need for additional research and increased federal funding for energy technology, Hewa indicated.

However, the association executive emphasized, NRECA is concerned with the report’s outlining of funding “options,” including but not limited to diverting some royalties from domestic energy production; collecting a charge on sales of electricity; and levying fees on other energy or pollution sources.

Such courses of action “could likely impact the affordability of electricity for our members,” Hewa underscored.

Tags: R&D