Energy Management Articles
Weekend reads: Decarbonization in 2021; Can a new sustainability standard save the fashion industry?
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web.
Insights from the 2020 Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum - Winter Edition
As we look forward to the summer edition of the Virtual Renewable Energy Forum, June 7-10, 2021, let's take a look back at our last event, December 2020's Winter Virtual Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum. This Insights report, part of our continuing series, offers a recap of each general session to give you an idea of how buyers and suppliers came together to share ideas on collaborating for a zero-carbon future.
Smart Energy Voices Podcast - Episode 27: Collaborating for Customer-Centricity in Achieving Sustainability Objectives
Renewable energy is becoming increasingly affordable every day but it hasn’t yet become accessible to everyone. ENGIE is working to change that. John Failla speaks with Chief Commercial & Industries and M&A Officer for ENGIE North America, André Canguçú about what they’re doing to expand access to renewable energy for smaller entities and those new to the field. André explains how ENGIE is working to simplify the process of obtaining renewable energy. Listen to hear how they’re making a difference in the ever-evolving industry of renewable energy.
Shopify pledges to purchase 15,000 tons of carbon removal
Shopify announced March 9 its record-level commitment to purchasing 15,000 tons of Direct Air Capture carbon removal.
Colorado State University starts campus-wide solar installations
Colorado State University announced March 18 that work has begun on the construction of 5.5 MW of solar power capacity across 21 sites at its Fort Collins campus.
CarMax aims for carbon neutrality by 2050
CarMax announced March 18 its intention to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and an interim target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% before 2025.
ArcelorMittal collaborates on decarbonizing steel production
ArcelorMittal announced March 17 that it is pursuing the decarbonization of its steel production through the exploration of low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture technologies.
Apple celebrates 350 MW of new RE capacity in 2020
Apple added 350 MW of renewable energy capacity in 2020 through projects in Nevada, Illinois, Virginia and Denmark as part of its planned $4.7 billion green bond spend that funded 17 projects total last year.
AT&T and Ball to receive wind power from new Okla. facility
A 350 MW wind project that will provide power to AT&T and Ball Corporation is now commercially operational in Kay County, Okla.
Tide launches campaign to reduce consumer product-use emissions
Tide announced March 18 its 2030 Ambition framework to achieve sustainability commitments that include reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions in its direct manufacturing by more than 50% between 2021 and 2030.
Meijer plans EV charging installations across Midwestern superstores
Meijer will soon be installing electric vehicle charging stations at its Midwestern supercenters through a new partnership announced March 18.
Iron Mountain Data Centers aces the Better Buildings Challenge
Iron Mountain Data Centers has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its commitment to energy efficiency through DOE’s Better Buildings Challenge. As a Better Buildings partner, Iron Mountain offered to share its best practices through a virtual tour of the cutting-edge energy efficiency technologies at its data centers.
Budweiser goes green for St. Patrick's Day
Budweiser announced that on March 17 it will purchase enough Renewable Energy Certificates to cover the estimated electricity used to brew every beer in the U.S. in a single day, celebrating St. Patrick's Day by turning its beer "green."
Rialto, Calif., proceeds with RE-powered microgrid for wastewater plant
The City of Rialto, Calif., announced March 17 the next phase of a plan to design and install a microgrid powered by biogas cogeneration, solar power and backup battery storage to power the city's wastewater treatment plant.
Ardmore Shipping joins methanol-to-hydrogen joint venture
Ardmore Shipping Corporation will soon be teaming up with hydrogen technology developer Element 1 Corp. (e1) to deliver methanol-to-hydrogen technology to the marine sector.
U.S. solar industry saw 43% growth in installations in 2020
The U.S. solar industry installed a record 19.2 GW of capacity in 2020, representing a 43% increase from the year before.
ACORE chooses 15 RE companies for new acceleration program
Fifteen companies were selected to participate in the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) Accelerate membership program and will benefit from the program’s networking opportunities for small renewable energy businesses.
Trane Technologies targets product emissions cut of 50%
Trane Technologies announced March 15 that it plans to reduce product carbon emissions by nearly 50% before 2030.
Air Canada targets net zero emissions in flights and ground operations by 2050
Air Canada announced March 15 its commitment to net zero emissions in all its operations globally by 2050.
Four tech and science companies join 111 MW wind aggregation deal
Uber, MilliporeSigma, Akamai, and Synopsys came together for an aggregation deal for 111 MW from a new 350 MW Texas wind project.
Challenging Channels: Creativity and Competition
Customers challenging the status quo are creating new channels to access competitive power markets in traditionally regulated states. "Challenging Channels: Creativity and Competition," a white paper from Constellation, looks at market conditions that are rapidly transforming the electric industry and the emergence of Competitive Access Programs (CAPs).
Chicago's McCormick Place to use 100% clean energy
The McCormick Place convention facility in Chicago will soon be using 100% renewable electricity through a new agreement that was completed March 11.
Boston completes Phase 1 of $45M municipal energy initiative
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh announced March 11 that the city completed the first phase of its energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative that includes a $45 million investment into the upgrading of city-owned buildings.
California housing facility to reduce energy use 15% with utility upgrades
An affordable housing community in Palm Desert, Calif., recently underwent nearly $1 million in energy efficiency upgrades that should reduce overall energy consumption by nearly 15%.
White Plains begins work on 6.8 MW solar portfolio
The City of White Plains broke ground last week on a nine-project, 6.8 MW community solar portfolio that will triple Westchester County's solar energy production.
Weekend reads: How to make Biden's EV charging target a reality; The cracks in China's emissions plan
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web.
Global wind market grew 59% in 2020 despite pandemic
The global wind market commissioned 96.3 GW of new capacity in 2020, reflecting 59% growth year-on-year, despite the economic challenges presented to the market due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smart Energy Voices Podcast - Episode 26: The Evolution of McDonald's Sustainability Roadmap
With 37,000 restaurants in over 100 countries serving 69 million people every day, McDonald’s understands how great an impact they have. The last time John spoke with Emma Cox, North American Sustainability Manager at McDonald’s Corporation during the 2019 Innovation Summit, the company was primarily focused on energy efficiency within the U.S. Since that beginning, their focus has had a global shift that will positively affect the environment. Listen to hear how McDonald’s is changing the world one community at a time.
SED’s 2021 Innovation Summit agenda & sponsors set
The slate of sessions, attendees, and sponsors is now final for Smart Energy Decisions’ 2021 Virtual Innovation Summit, March 22-25. Uniting under the theme of "Emerging Technologies for the Future of Energy Management," the Summit will welcome energy, sustainability, and facility executives from over 50 commercial, industrial, institutional, and government organizations. Almost two-thirds of these buyers represent companies that are participating in a Smart Energy Decisions event for the first time.
Microsoft and Total partner on energy innovation
Total and Microsoft announced March 11 a new partnership to help one another achieve their respective energy goals.
