The two groups don't always see eye-to-eye, but on Valentines Day, both groups announced they had found significant common ground to help modernize the utility sector.
The two groups have collectively agreed that a clean energy transition is "underway and accelerating," and that smarter energy infrastructure can bring a range of benefits to the grid and to custyomers that include resiliency and long-term cost reductions.
Despite the rise of distributed generation and falling costs of energy storage, the two groups also contend that regulated electric companies "are and will remain essential in electric resource portfolio management and investment." There are rate design and regulatory reforms needed, they say, but expect those will vary from state to state.
"Utilities have made remarkable progress in reducing carbon and other emissions,” NRDC co-director Ralph Cavanagh said in a statement. “But progress must accelerate ... our joint recommendations will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help get us there.”
The EEI and NRDC recommendations include:
Energy efficiency is also a key factor in this collaboration, the groups said in their joint statement, due to its ability to moderate electrical usage and reduce emissions.
"Energy efficiency has helped to moderate growth in electricity consumption significantly, renewables are surging, and electric companies are critical partners in distributed energy resources," EEI and NRDC said.
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