Smart Energy Decisions News

Solar - January 21, 2021

Clean energy programs power New York State communities

New York State announced on Jan. 20 that it added three new community choice aggregation programs (CCA) in 2020 to more than 100,000 utility account holders in twelve communities. CCA programs help residents save money in addition to supporting local economic growth and helping to meet state climate goals.

Regulation - January 20, 2021

President Biden rejoins Paris Agreement

U.S. President Joseph R. Biden fulfilled his promise to rejoin the Paris Agreement on his first day in office. One of 15 executive actions signed from the Oval Office on January 20, the action signals a major policy reversal following four years during which the Trump administration rejected climate science and rolled back environmental regulation to maximize fossil fuel development.

GHG Emissions - January 20, 2021

New Jersey permits program to replace diesel trucks with electric vehicles

New Jersey is launching a pilot program to incentivize businesses and institutional organizations to divert from diesel trucks and instead purchase medium and heavy-duty electric vehicles.

GHG Emissions - January 20, 2021

Kansas City Southern commits to science-based emissions reduction target

Kansas City Southern, a transportation holding company, announced on Jan. 19 that it has submitted a commitment letter to the science-based targets initiative (SBTi) pledging to establish greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

Finance - January 19, 2021

Energy transition investment reached $500 billion in 2020

On Jan. 19 BloombergNEF (BNEF) announced a new broad measure of energy transition investment showing global record-breaking 2020 commitments to decarbonization totaling $501.3 billion. This beats the previous year by 9% despite the economic disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

GHG Emissions - January 19, 2021

Massachusetts governor vetoes climate bill

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker (R) vetoed a bill on Jan 14 that would update the state’s carbon emissions goals to make the state “net neutral” by 2050, citing that the bill didn’t do enough to help cities and towns adapt to the effects of climate change.

GHG Emissions - January 19, 2021

Fifth Third Bank achieves carbon neutrality for 2020 operations

Fifth Third Bank announced on Jan. 19 that it reached carbon neutrality for its operations in 2020, including greenhouse gas emissions from its facilities and business travel.

Sourcing Renewables - January 18, 2021

VRESF Video: The Evolution of McDonald's Sustainability Roadmap

Our series of presentations from the 2020 VIrtual Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum continues with "The Evolution of McDonald's Sustainability Roadmap." Emma Cox, Global Renewable Energy Lead, explains how the company's motto, "Scale for Good," is being put into action as McDonald's explores how to achieve its own sustainability goals and how to bring others along with them.

Energy Efficiency - January 18, 2021

U.S. Air Force begins construction on ESPC

The United States Air Force announced on Jan. 14 that it began construction on an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) including a combined heat and power plant with microgrid controls to improve energy resilience and enhance mission readiness at its Yokota Air Base outside of Tokyo, Japan.

GHG Emissions - January 18, 2021