Energy Management Articles
Cubic Corporation cut carbon intensity by 17% in 2020
Cubic Corporations announced Jan. 27 that in 2020 it reduced its CO2 intensity by 17% and reduced its Scope 2 emissions, the focus of its emissions tracking, by 18%.
Vaisala achieves target to use 100% renewable electricity
Vaisala, a weather, environmental and industrial measurements company, announced on Feb. 2 that it achieved its target to use 100% renewable electricity by the end of 2020.
Wells Fargo to add solar to nearly 100 properties in seven states
Wells Fargo announced on Feb. 2 that it is installing approximately 30 MW of new, onsite solar generation at its corporate and retail locations in seven states.
Cleveland-Cliffs to reduce GHG emissions by 25% by 2030
Flat-rolled steel producer Cleveland-Cliffs announced on Jan. 29 that it has set a target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030. This goal represents combined Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (indirect) greenhouse gas emission reductions.
Big Y participates in community solar program
Big Y World Class Market, a large supermarket chain in New England, announced in January that it has taken the next step in supporting the production and consumption of clean energy by participating in a community solar program.
Kloss Distributing's warehouse runs on 100% solar
Chicago-area beverage company Kloss Distributing announced on Jan. 26 that it has installed solar on its warehouse roof. The company expects the solar installation to generate all of its electricity, saving $70,000 per year in electric costs.
Weekend reads: BlackRock CEO urges corporate focus on ESG; Decarbonizing Europe's buildings
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web.
Smart Energy Voices Podcast - Episode 20: The Growing Importance of Renewable Energy Partnerships
We all know that strong partnerships are essential if we are going to succeed in collaborating to accomplish a zero-carbon future. Companies and organizations that work together in business relationships have more opportunities to increase efficiency in joint projects and partner to source from renewable energy sources. This conversation features two of the players in just such a partnership. John speaks with Nathan Nissen, Principal Engineer, Sustainability at Kohler Company, and Greg Rizzo, Director of Origination at Enel Green Power.
General Motors plans for carbon neutrality by 2040
GM announced on Jan. 28 that it plans to become carbon neutral in its global products and operations by 2035, eliminating tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2040. To reach its goals, GM has committed to science-based targets, signed the Business Ambition Pledge for 1.5⁰C, and plans to source renewable energy and leverage minimal offsets or credits.
Commercial HVAC practices: Adaptability is key during a continually changing business landscape
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many U.S. businesses operating from commercial buildings experienced either a shutdown or a substantial reduction in facility usage in 2021. This column from Chris Hensley at Encycle explores energy usage and control decisions companies are making as they recalibrate their buildings' HVAC operational requirements.
Meriden Housing Authority adds solar to affordable housing locations
Meriden Housing Authority announced on Jan. 26 that it will install solar EV carport, rooftop and ground-mount systems at two former schools in Bristol, Connecticut, which will be converted to affordable housing. The solar will provide 100% of the future tenants' power.
Verizon signs 13 renewable energy agreements
Verizon announced on Jan. 28 that it has entered into a total of 13 long-term renewable energy purchase agreements (REPAs) totaling nearly 1.7 GW of renewable energy capacity since December 2019. This has made it of the largest corporate buyers of U.S. renewable energy.
New Jersey expands EV charging
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities announced on Jan. 27 that it approved a settlement to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the state. Cars, trucks and buses are the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in New Jersey.
Solar array covers 100% of the University of Richmond's power needs
The University of Richmond (UR) announced on Jan. 27 that its new Spider Solar project is online. This makes UR one of only two higher education institutions in the U.S., and the first in the Southeast, to match 100% of its electricity needs with a single solar power source.
CyrusOne powers Texas data centers with renewables
CyrusOne, a global data center real estate investment trust, announced on Jan. 26 that the company will purchase renewable energy to power two of its data centers in Texas.
Biden signs executive actions on climate change
President Biden signed a series of executive orders on January 27 to establish climate change as a foreign policy and national security priority and to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies in favor of clean energy technologies.
New Energy Technologies in the spotlight at SED’s 2021 Innovation Summit
New energy technologies will be a major focus at Smart Energy Decisions’ 2021 Virtual Innovation Summit, set for March 22-25. The event will feature a mix of educational sessions, peer-to-peer networking opportunities, and exclusive one-to-one meetings between industry buyers and solution providers.
Scotch Whisky commits to reaching net-zero emissions by 2040
The Scotch Whisky industry announced on Jan. 25 that it launched a new sustainability strategy in an effort to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of Scotland’s national drink.
Despite 2020 challenges, corporate clean energy buying grew 18%
BNEF announced on Jan. 26 that its research shows that corporations purchased a record 23.7 GW of clean energy in 2020, up from 20.1 GW in 2019 and 13.6GW in 2018. The increase came despite the COVID-19 pandemic, a global recession and uncertain federal policy.
Celanese extends PPA to include solar energy
Celanese Corporation, a global chemical and specialty materials company, announced on Jan. 26 that it has extended a contract to incorporate a solar power component into the electricity supply mix for its acetyl intermediates chemical manufacturing facility.
Akamai Technologies reduced emissions in spite of growth
Global tech company Akamai Technologies announced on Jan. 25 that it has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by sourcing more renewable energy. While 2020 traffic on the Akamai platform increased, Akamai's greenhouse gas emissions decreased.
Clorox uses 100% renewable electricity in U.S. and Canada
The Clorox Company announced on Jan. 25 that it has achieved its goal of 100% renewable electricity for its U.S. and Canadian operations four years earlier than planned.
Mastercard commits to net-zero emissions
Mastercard announced on Jan. 26 that it has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 by decarbonizing its operations and supply chains.
Tackle energy efficiency projects with no upfront costs
Following up on Envizi's webinar, "Optimizing the Low Carbon Pathway," this column from Tanya March, SVP North America, continues the discussion with key considerations to understand creative financing options in order to make best practices a reality.
36 top energy buyers call for clean energy transformation
A coalition of American companies that represent the country's largest buyers of renewable energy, including Amazon, Facebook, Google, General Motors, Microsoft, Walmart and PepsiCo, to name a few, released Jan. 25 a joint statement calling for the federal government to prioritize policies that accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon power sector.
EY aims to be carbon negative in 2021
EY, the global organization of Ernst & Young, announced on Jan. 25 that it has set an ambition to be carbon negative in 2021 by setting targets to significantly reduce its absolute emissions and removing and offsetting more carbon than it emits.
Boeing commercial airplanes to fly on 100% sustainable fuels
Boeing announced on Jan. 22 that it is committing to making its commercial airplanes capable and certified to fly on 100% sustainable aviation fuels by 2030. Boeing has previously conducted successful test flights replacing petroleum jet fuel with 100% sustainable fuels to address the urgent challenge of climate change.
Weekend reads: French energy company Total ditches Big Oil; Honolulu's path to carbon neutrality
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web.
Enel X 2021 Energy Market Outlook
In the 2021 Energy Market Outlook, Enel X’s team of experts offers insight into the national and regional trends that will shape energy markets in the coming year. The report covers topics like renewable energy, the Biden administration, and energy strategy amid the continuing pandemic. There are also regional analyses for California, Texas, the Midwest, New England, New York, and the Mid-Atlantic. Download now to learn more.
Smart Energy Voices Podcast - Episode 19: Driving Decarbonization With Digital Innovation
We open our second season of Smart Energy Voices with Microsoft’s Vanessa Miler-Fels, Director of Energy Innovation and Impact. Decarbonization is one of the primary goals many companies are trying to achieve in their operations. Microsoft is leading the way in the realm of corporate leadership, setting its Carbon Negative Pledge as a standard to follow. Miler-Fels’ insights and clear way of describing the “carbon math” the Microsoft team has done to empower their own efforts and extend their approach to their own supply chain partners come through loud and clear in this conversation. Listen to hear the generous and ambitious contributions Microsoft is poised to make to the world’s energy future.
