Solar, Sourcing Renewables  -  December 2, 2021

Florida Blue Uses Solar to Reduce Carbon Footprint

Florida Blue, the state's Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, announced it expects to reduce its carbon footprint by at least 50% by making its headquarters and other Jacksonville facilities 100% solar powered. 

The company is the first corporate participant to sign onto Jacksonville electric utility JEA's SolarMax program, an energy sustainability project that focuses on increasing corporations' use of solar energy as their primary source of power to help decrease companies' carbon footprints.

"This partnership with JEA's SolarMax project is an important piece to helping Florida Blue reach our goals for renewable energy," said Pat Geraghty, Florida Blue CEO in a statement. "Whereas we previously measured our energy savings only in dollars, we now have a corporate goal for reducing our carbon footprint, as well. We want to be environmental leaders in our community. Our company's mission is to help people and communities achieve better health, and improving our environment is one way we can live our mission."

Florida Blue has reduced its carbon footprint by 22% since 2017 through a combination of initiatives, such as switching to LED lighting in its seven headquarters campus office buildings and installing HVAC systems. 

In 2017 Florida Blue joined the Climate Registry for access to tools to help track its greenhouse gas emissions and the company's data is verified by a third party. Analyzing that data helps the company understand how it can reduce its carbon footprint even more.