Energy Management Articles
Which renewable energy options are best for my business?
A recent Smart Energy Decisions webinar, “Optimizing the Pathway to Low-Carbon”, sponsored by Envizi, Edison Energy, and Redaptive, explored best practices for achieving Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction targets. This column from Tanya March of Envizi walks through the process of understanding which renewable energy options are best suited to your business and summarizes questions posed by attendees during the webinar.
Bristol Myers Squibb sets target for 100% RE by 2030, carbon neutrality by 2040
Bristol Myers Squibb announced Dec. 16 its new sustainability targets, including a goal to source 100% renewable electricity by 2040 and be carbon neutral in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2040.
CMC Steel receives power from 100 MW Arizona solar project
Commercial Metals Company announced Dec. 16 that its micro mill in Mesa, Ariz., is officially receiving renewable energy from a nearby 100 MW solar project.
Blue Shield of California hits carbon neutral goal
Blue Shield of California announced Dec. 15 that it has achieved its carbon neutrality target.
Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance releases nine core principles for widespread adoption
The 21 members of the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance released Dec. 15 a set of fleet electrification principles to provide guidance on transitioning fleets across sectors and advancing the electric vehicle market.
CBRE sets SBTi-approved 68% emissions reduction target
CBRE Group announced Dec. 14 its target to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions 68% by 2035 from a 2019 baseline and that the goal has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.
Pope Francis sets a net zero carbon target for Vatican City
Pope Francis committed Vatican City on Dec. 12 to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, advancing a policy of clean energy and environmentalism that the state has been focused on over the last decade.
White Plains school buses feed Con Ed grid with new vehicle-to-grid tech
Electric school buses that transport students in the White Plains area are being used in a project experimenting with vehicle-to-grid technology to provide power to the Con Edison grid.
Innovation Summit goes virtual; Leading keynotes announced
Smart Energy Decisions will lead off its 2021 slate of events with the Virtual Innovation Summit, set for March 8-12, 2021. The fifth edition of the industry’s premier event will once again bring together energy, sustainability and facility man
First-Ever Peace REC Transaction Drives Renewable Energy Development in Africa
Microsoft recently executed the first-ever Peace Renewable Energy Credit (P-REC) transaction with Energy Peace Partners and Congolese solar developer Nuru, facilitated by 3Degrees. Learn more about this groundbreaking renewable energy transaction’s transformative impacts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Cisco covers 100% of U.S. operations with RE in 2020
Cisco announced Dec. 10 that it officially achieved 100% renewable energy for its U.S. operations during this fiscal year.
Clemson University joins federally-funded hydrogen research team
Clemson University is teaming up with Siemens Energy and Duke Energy on a federally-funded research project looking into the use of hydrogen for energy storage and low- to no-carbon fuel.
Virginia schools across seven counties to receive onsite solar power
Twenty-one schools in Virginia will be powering their operations with solar power through a new partnership announced Dec. 11.
Weekend reads: A look at solar power's success in 2020; The EU's biggest oil producer looks to cease its main product
It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web.
Smart Energy Voices Podcast - Episode 18: 5 Predictions for the Corporate Renewable Energy Market in 2021
In this episode of Smart Energy Voices, Rob Collier, Vice President of Developer Relations at LevelTen Energy, provides his five predictions for the Corporate Renewable Energy Market for 2021. Among the topics discussed is the impact a move toward social justice in renewables will have on diversity and inclusion in the industry, the increased number of companies committing to reducing Scope 3 emissions, and how the need for speed will drive innovation.
All Roads Lead to Green Leasing
Real estate in the U.S. and around the world is experiencing an astronomical disruption that will reshape the future of buildings, how they are built, operated, and occupied for the foreseeable future. In this column, Audi Banny of the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) explains why traditional leases aren’t working, and why green, high-performance leases are becoming the new standard.
Smithfield Foods launches RNG project with Utah hog farmers
Smithfield Foods announced Dec. 9 its first renewable natural gas project through a joint venture with Dominion Energy in southwestern Utah.
W. M. Keck Observatory completes the largest solar installation at world's highest altitude
The W.M. Keck Observatory, a facility that features two telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, announced Dec. 10 that it has completed the installation of the world’s largest commercial solar system at the highest altitude.
Tractor Supply Company to source 100% RE for 30 Virginia stores
Tractor Supply Company announced Dec. 10 that it has executed a contract to supply 100% renewable energy to its more than 30 store facilities in Virginia through a three-year power agreement.
Square targets net zero carbon in operations by 2030
Square announced Dec. 8 its plans to achieve net zero carbon in its operations by 2030, including in its primary Scope 3 emissions.
Starbucks explores utility-scale storage in new procurement endeavor
Starbucks announced Dec. 9 that it has entered into an agreement to virtually procure 5.5 MW of battery storage capacity and 24 MW of solar energy in a first-of-its-kind corporate financial agreement for utility-scale storage.
Amazon becomes largest corporate RE purchaser with 26 new projects
Amazon announced Dec. 10 a list of 26 new utility-scale wind and solar projects totalling 3.4 GW, making it the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy.
2020 State of Distributed Energy Resources
The 2020 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. Among the findings: these customers want independence and control to choose their sources of energy - but first, they need to overcome the barriers of costs and economics of implementation.
Mercedes-Benz aims for carbon neutral supply chain by 2039
Mercedes-Benz announced this week its ambition to have a carbon-neutral global supply chain by 2039.
Largest Rhode Island solar farm to power local towns, school district
A rooftop solar installation that will provide power to the Town of Bristol, the Town of Barrington and Barrington School District is now under construction and is expected to be the largest such installation in the state of Rhode Island.
Nestlé makes its largest RE investment in Texas solar project
Nestle announced Dec. 9 that it will be the sole tax equity investor for a new 250 MW solar project in Texas, from which it will purchase 100% of the renewable electricity attributes generated by the project’s energy production.
New legislation can help Massachusetts build back a stronger, more equitable economy
As a sustainability professional living in the Commonwealth, Mike Mattera of Akamai Technologies is pleased to see that landmark climate change legislation was passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Now all eyes are on the state's general court, where final terms of the bill are being negotiated. In this column, Mattera explains the importance of legislation to build back a stronger, more equitable, just, and sustainable economy.
Deutsche Bank to link management pay to hitting ESG targets
Deutsche Bank announced Dec. 7 that it intends to link management pay to environmental, social and governance-related (ESG) criteria, following the lead of a few other financial institutions.
McDonald's to reach 50% of emissions goals with 2020 VPPAs
McDonald's reported Dec. 7 that it used 2020 to increase its investment in renewable energy generation and will be halfway to its emissions reduction goal once its new projects come online.
Port of San Diego plans 700 kW microgrid project
The Port of San Diego announced Dec. 7 that it has awarded a contract for the construction of its 700 kW Microgird Infrastructure Project that will consist of a battery storage system and electrical infrastructure that could save the port $3.2 million in energy costs over 20 years.
