Expert Columns

Sourcing Renewables - May 7, 2021 - By Mark Vanderhelm, Walmart

Setting Records, Walmart Continues Moving Toward Becoming a Totally Renewable Business

Doing what’s right for the future of our planet means making major change. That’s why Walmart has committed to becoming a regenerative company powered by 100% renewable energy in its operations by 2035. In this column, Mark Vanderhelm, VP of Energy and Facilities Management, explains how Walmart is setting an example for what one company can do to move toward a cleaner future.

April 30, 2021

Competitive Wholesale Markets Unlock Procurement Options—Will the Proposed Southeast Energy Exchange Market Do the Same?

Unpacking what makes wholesale markets work for buyers also helps to explain why buyers have not enthusiastically endorsed the Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM) proposal put forward by a handful of Southeastern utilities. In this column from Caitlin Marquis of Advanced Energy Economy, learn why, for buyers interested in more wholesale competition, SEEM is a discussion worth following.

Distributed Energy Resources - April 28, 2021 - By NRG Editorial Voices

A perspective on weather, the grid, and bringing resilience to your energy approach

Energy managers face added uncertainty in an era of more frequent and extreme weather events. Last February, Winter Storm Uri reinforced that idea and the importance of bringing resilience and stability into every company's energy approach. Here's a perspective from NRG on the storm itself and on moving forward.

Energy Efficiency - April 19, 2021 - By Rory Gahagan, IMT

Want to Tune Up Your City’s Buildings? First, Tune Up Your Approach.

Are audits and tune-up policies the unsung heroes of the building energy policy world? In this column from the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), Rory Gahagan makes the case for these actions as viable stepping stones to improving energy usage and reducing GHG emissions with five key lessons any city can deploy to tune up its approach to produce successful policies.

Distributed Energy Resources - April 14, 2021 - By NRG Energy, Inc.

Turning Sustainability Goals into Action: DER Survey Insights, Part 4

Emissions reduction goals are increasing in significance as a driver for organizations to install DERs. Part 4 of this series from NRG Energy, based on results of the 2020 State of Distributed Energy Resources study conducted by Smart Energy Decisions, explores how creating objectives and measuring progress is especially important to establish stakeholder approval for the implementation of DERs.

April 7, 2021 - By Constellation

Developing Energy Solutions For Your Company's Needs

Listening to customers is the first step to delivering a comprehensive, innovative, and strategic vision for energy management strategies. In this blog post from Constellation's series on Sustainability, Efficiency and Technology, the company explains why the conversation must start with a series of questions to determine what a customer is looking for in order to effectively meet their energy, sustainability, and budgetary needs.

April 5, 2021 - By ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR’s Certification: The Path to a More Efficient Data Center

Over the past 12 years, manufacturers of computer servers have shown leadership through the ENERGY STAR® program to improve server energy efficiency and help reduce data center energy consumption. In this column from ENERGY STAR, a team of experts explores the use of SERT™ (Server Efficiency Rating Tool), the benefits of enabling power management, and the use of SERT data to estimate data center power demand.

Finance - March 29, 2021 - By David Solomon, Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs Update on its 2030 Sustainable Finance Commitment

One year in on Goldman Sachs' plan to target $750 billion in financing, investing and advisory activity towards climate transition and inclusive growth, Chairman and CEO David M. Solomon provides an update on progress and new initiatives. Surpassing a fifth of the goal in a single year, he says, demonstrates that sustainable finance has already become a core offering from Goldman Sachs – and the demand among clients shows no signs of slowing down.

Distributed Energy Resources - March 24, 2021 - By NRG Energy, Inc.

The Value of Partnerships: DER Survey Insights, Part 3

In order to make the most of the opportunities afforded by DERs, it is important to join with partners who can help to evaluate your operations as a whole, explain potential complexities, and recommend the best DER fit and strategy for your business. Part 3 of this series from NRG Energy based on results of the 2020 State of Distributed Energy Resources study conducted by Smart Energy Decisions, looks at a variety of partnerships and business models being used to deploy DERs.

March 9, 2021 - By Larry Fink, BlackRock

Larry Fink’s 2021 letter to CEOs

In his annual letter to CEOs, Larry Fink noted that the pandemic has presented such an existential crisis that it has driven us to confront the global threat of climate change more forcefully and to consider how, like the pandemic, it will alter our lives. Read the letter to find out why there is no company whose business model won’t be profoundly affected by the transition to a net zero economy and how sustainability and deeper connections to stakeholders will drive better returns.