Energy Management Articles
Uber and bp partner to expand EV charging in Houston
The City of Houston, Texas, announced on Feb. 1 that bp and Uber will work together to deploy bp’s rapid EV charging hubs in the city to help Uber drivers make the transition to EVs.
Bloomberg LP sets 2025 goal for net zero carbon emissions
Bloomberg LP announced Feb. 3 it has committed to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2025, the same year as the company's existing target to reach 100% renewable energy.
Facebook, McDonald's power-supplying wind farm acquired by Ares Management
Ares Management Corporation announced Feb. 2 that it has acquired a 302 MW wind project in Illinois that will provide clean energy to McDonald's and Facebook.
Calif. community choice aggregation program sources from new solar project
A set of solar projects that will provide clean energy to MCE, California's first Community Choice Aggregation Program, began commercial operation last week.
Estée Lauder plans for net zero emissions for its travel retail locations
The Estée Lauder Companies announced Jan. 26 that it is committed to eliminating the carbon emissions associated with the products sold within its Travel Retail unit, including duty-free environments like airports, downtown locations, airlines, cruises and border shops.
In 2021 we must set more ambitious targets for zero-emission trucks and buses
Despite the historic difficulty of 2020, there were some climate and air quality bright spots. For example, the march toward zero-emission trucks and busses is on. In this column, Larissa Koehler of EDF explains why we should increase our ambition in 2021.
State of Energy Management 2020 Report
The 2nd annual State of Energy Management Report from BuildingOS offers research and insights to help you optimize building performance and make well-informed decisions as your organization continues reaching its energy goals. Conducted in partnership with Smart Energy Decisions, the results of the research serve as a snapshot of how the industry responded to events of 2020 and offers insights into five emerging trends to look for in 2021.
KPMG pledges to be net-zero by 2030
KPMG, a global organization of independent professional services firms, announced on Jan. 26 that it has published its first ESG plan. The company’s Impact Plan brings together new and existing ESG commitments under one umbrella.
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.
