New Database At Colorado State University Tracks Energy Legislation In All 50 States

FORT COLLINS, Colo., May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Colorado State University's Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) today announced the rollout of the Advanced Energy Legislation (AEL) Tracker – a new online database of energy-related state legislation pending in all 50 states, from solar to natural gas and everything in between. This first-of-its-kind database, created in partnership with Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), will also enable CNEE to conduct analysis of trends in state energy legislation.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120823/DC61994LOGO)  

Today, state legislatures are considering more than 2,100 bills that could change the way Americans produce, buy and use energy. AEL Tracker identifies all those measures and monitors the progress of many advanced energy bills as they move forward.

"If we look at where the country is going on advanced energy policy, overwhelmingly that transition is being led by states," said Bill Ritter, Jr., director of CNEE and former governor of Colorado. "To get the pulse of where the country is going we need to understand what the states are doing.  AEL Tracker brings together information on energy-related legislation in all 50 states, in a form that is easily accessible not only to lawmakers at all levels of government, but to academics, analysts, environmentalists, funders, business leaders and the general public. It will allow our Center to conduct critical academic analysis of issues related to energy legislation nationwide."

Based on information available only in AEL Tracker:

• Nearly 25 percent of pending state energy legislation call for new financing tools – including tax incentives – for the installation of energy facilities;
• Roughly 21 percent of pending bills promote development of clean energy sources; and
• About 8 percent encourages adoption of energy-efficient appliances, building codes and practices – the low-hanging fruit in America's energy supply chain.

The Center's first trend analysis is on energy efficiency, entitled "Rediscovering the First Fuel." The Center expects to publish 2-3 trend analyses per month and will next publish a white paper on financing of advanced energy.

The database has been developed in collaboration with Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a national business organization representing the entire advanced energy industry, from wind, hydro, solar, and natural gas to efficiency and electric vehicles.

"This online database provides information on critical state legislation that is available nowhere else," said Graham Richard, CEO of AEE. "AEL Tracker is a nonpartisan tool that allows researchers, journalists, policymakers and concerned citizens to follow and analyze advanced energy legislation, individually and in aggregate. We hope this unique database will increase awareness of advanced energy and the way state action can unleash its economic potential for the United States."

Both Richard and Ritter shared additional views in videos that can be found on the AEL Tracker website: www.aeltracker.org.

CNEE operates the database on the Fort Collins campus of Colorado State University, a land-grant university with a long history of cutting-edge research into natural gas emissions and renewable energy, water resources and the environment. The university provides credible, multi-disciplinary solutions to the complexities facing America's energy industries.

About Advanced Energy Economy (AEE)
Advanced Energy Economy is a national association of businesses and business leaders who are making the global energy system more secure, clean, and affordable. Advanced energy encompasses a broad range of products and services that constitute the best available commercial technologies for meeting energy needs today and tomorrow. AEE members include companies involved in technology development, component and product manufacturing, project and infrastructure development, equipment installation, engineering, finance, advisory services, and other activities that help business and residential consumers meet their energy needs in better ways. http://aee.net

About the Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE)
Colorado State University's Center for the New Energy Economy was founded in February, 2011. CNEE is a privately-funded initiative to support the growth of a clean energy economy across the United States. The Center is led by former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and is assisted by some of the nation's most important thought leaders in clean energy research, development and commercialization. The Center works directly with governors, legislators, regulators, planners, policy makers and other decision makers to provide technical assistance and help them create the policies and practices to facilitate America's transition to a clean energy economy. The mission of the Center is to incorporate best practices from around the nation and world to accelerate the development of a New Energy Economy. http://cnee.colostate.edu   

SOURCE Advanced Energy Economy