Energy Management Articles
Kilroy Realty achieves carbon-neutral operations
Kilroy Realty Corporation (KRC), a West Coast landlord and developer, announced Jan. 4 that it achieved carbon-neutral operations at the end of 2020. In 2018, the company was the first North American real estate investment trust to make a commitment to achieve carbon-neutral operations and it accomplished its goal.
Microsoft, Unilever, Neste join The Climate Pledge
Unilever, Microsoft, Brooks, Neste and ITV, among eight other companies, are the most recent signatories of Amazon’s The Climate Pledge.
German chemical producer BASF agrees to source 55 MW of solar power
BASF Corporation, a German chemical producer, announced Dec. 21 that it completed an agreement for 55 MW of solar power from a new Texas project.
VRESF Video: Addressing Residual Emissions on the Path to Net Zero
We continue our series of presentations from the 2020 Virtual Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum with "Addressing Residual Emissions on the Path to Net Zero." Stephanie Harris, Director of Carbon Markets at 3Degrees explains that more and more organizations are recognizing the role carbon offsets can play as an instrument to address residual emissions in the near term while better criteria are developed to understand what it means to be net-zero.
Schnitzer Steel exceeds clean energy target five years early
Schnitzer Steel recently announced that it exceeded its 90% carbon-free electricity goal in FY 2020, five years ahead of schedule, while pursuing a more sustainable business model focused on recycling scrap metal.
Madison plans 8 MW solar array to power municipal operations
The City of Madison and the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) in Wisconsin announced Dec. 30 that they are embarking on a joint project to develop an 8 MW solar array in the city.
VRESF Video: Inspiring Diversity in Energy
"Inspiring Diversity in Energy," part of our series of sessions from the 2020 Virtual Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum, presents Telisa Toliver, General Manager, Renewable Power at Chevron Pipeline and Power. In this discussion, which explores ways to increase diversity in the industry, she advises, "The first thing our industry needs to do is to tell our story better. We serve an incredible purpose and we provide energy for people every day and we support their quality of life."
VRESF Video: The Future of Sustainability Strategy
Continuing our series of presentations from the 2020 Virtual Renewable Energy Forum (Winter Edition), Greg Kandankulam, Senior Manager, Sustainability at NRG Energy discusses a series of paradigm shifts that have led to larger conversations around carbon mitigation strategies, including both opportunities and challenges that must be considered when creating a sustainability strategy.
VRESF Video: The Growing Importance of Renewable Energy Partnerships
Stronger partnerships will be essential for companies to reach a zero-carbon future. In this session from the 2020 Virtual Renewable Energy Forum (Winter Edition) presented by Enel Green Power (EGP), Greg Rizzo, Director of Origination for EGP, and Nathan Nissen, Principal Engineer – Sustainability at Kohler Co., discuss the key components needed to build a partnership that will lead to an effective energy strategy.
VRESF Video: Driving Decarbonization with Digital Innovation
In the first of our series of presentations from the 2020 Virtual Renewable Energy Forum (Winter Edition), Vanessa Miler-Fels, Director of Energy Innovation & Impact at Microsoft discusses the company’s slate of “moonshot" goals, including the removal of 45 years of historical carbon emissions. The key – and a primary focus of innovation and funding – is data.
EN + Group secures I-REC certifications
EN + Group announced Dec. 20 that it has become the first energy producer and supplier in Russia to participate in the issuance of the International Renewable Energy Certificate (I-REC).
2020 State of Distributed Energy Resources
The 2020 State of Distributed Energy Resources Study, conducted by Smart Energy Decisions and sponsored by NRG, explores the usage, consideration, drivers, and barriers for DERs among large electric power users.
J.B. Hunt partners with Univ. of Arkansas on supply chain sustainability
J.B. Hunt Transport Services announced Dec. 22 a new joint venture with the University of Arkansas focused on increasing sustainability in the supply chain and transportation industries.
Largest solar+battery system in New York planned for JFK Airport
New York State’s largest onsite solar-plus-storage system was approved to begin development at John F. Kennedy International Airport and will provide power for AirTrain JFK and the surrounding communities.
Intel sources clean energy from 100 MW solar facility
Intel Corporation announced Dec. 21 that it is now receiving clean energy from a new 100 MW solar facility in Arizona to power a local tech manufacturing plant.
New wind will give energy to Walmart, Smithfield Foods, Starbucks
A 303 MW wind farm that will provide clean energy to Walmart, Smithfield Foods and Starbucks is now operational in southern Oklahoma.
Congress extends renewable energy tax credits
Congress extended Dec. 21 the deadlines to start construction on projects that qualify for federal tax credits, prompting a scramble by project developers to amend arrangements put in place to start such construction in 2020.
Municipal, utility, commercial customers around the U.S. complete agreements with RNG provider
A plethora of commercial, industrial, municipal, transportation, utility and waste removal entities completed new or extended old contracts for more than 58 million gallons combined of renewable natural gas (RNG) from Clean Energy Fuels Corp.
Increasing electric aircraft demand is driving electric power systems development
A new study found that the global aircraft electric power systems (EPS) market is being largely driven by increasing demand for electric aircraft, changes in global fleet composition and surging demand for new aircraft from emerging economies.
The Walt Disney Company establishes 2030 energy and environmental targets
The Walt Disney Company announced Dec. 18 that it is committed to achieving net zero emissions and purchasing or producing 100% clean electricity for its direct operations by 2030.
Solar for the Middle
You may think commercial solar is only for large, Fortune 500 companies with enough resources to afford millions of dollars in capital expenditures. The good news is that this is not at all the case. Safari Energy has put together this guide for mid-sized companies that are increasingly expected to put sustainability more front-and-center.
Weekend reads: 2020's best climate wins; The racial divide in electric vehicle charging in Chicago
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web.
How to Align your Stakeholders: A guide for creating your renewable energy purchasing team
Virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) bring powerful benefits to help organizations achieve their sustainability goals. But one of the most common reasons companies fail to complete their first VPPA is because they don’t have the right team assembled. Download this guide from Enel Green Power to learn the key people you need to execute a VPPA, how to align your internal stakeholders to successfully work together, and the top three reasons that a VPPA isn’t successfully completed.
British Airways explores hydrogen-powered aircraft development
British Airways announced Dec. 12 that it is teaming up with a sustainable aviation company on the development of hydrogen-powered aircraft and the decarbonization of the aviation sector.
Upwork achieves carbon neutrality with focus on eliminating employee commuting
Upwork announced Dec. 17 that it achieved carbon neutrality for the first time in 2019 and plans to remain carbon neutral going into the future.
Porsche launches synthetic eFuel development project
Porsche announced earlier this month that it is joining a pilot project in Chile that could produce the world’s first integrated, commercial, industrial-scale plant for making synthetic climate-neutral fuels, referred to as eFuels.
100 MW battery storage project brings reliability to New York grid
New York State will soon be reaping the benefits of utility-scale battery storage through a new project in Astoria, Queens.
Northeastern student housing granted LEED Platinum for sustainability
American Campus Communities announced Dec. 16 that its sustainable student housing at Northeastern University will be sourcing renewable energy and has been awarded LEED Platinum certification for its sustainability initiatives.
VMware outlines path to net zero by 2030
VMware announced Dec. 10 its new 2030 sustainability agenda, which includes 30 specific goals around its ESG targets including net zero emissions and 100% renewable energy sourcing.
Virtual Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum (Winter Edition) Wrap-Up
Smart Energy Decisions' Virtual Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum (Winter Edition), presented on December 7-11, brought together industry buyers and suppliers to accelerate the creation and execution of renewable energy strategies. This recap of the Forum's educational sessions highlights the theme of "Collaborating for a Zero-Carbon Future."
