Energy Management Articles
Va. Supreme Court decision favors renewable energy shopping
The Virginia Supreme Court on Mar. 29 upheld a decision by state regulators that large electricity users seeking all-renewable power can shop for it without regard for a requirement that they give five years’ notice if they want to return to utility service
NHL promotes sustainability achievements
The National Hockey League (NHL) reported a 1-percent reduction of energy consumption and a 2-percent reduction in CO2 emissions as part of its first NHL Green month, celebrating their ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.
Walmart brings Project Gigaton to China
Walmart announced on Mar. 29 the launch of Project Gigaton in China, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions across its China value chain by 50 million metric tons by 2030. The company expects to enroll all of its export and domestic suppliers in China
Chula Vista premieres EV fleet and charging stations
The City of Chula Vista, Calif. unveiled a fleet of new electric vehicles and an array of EV charging stations at City Hall. The program was created in a partnership between the city and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) in order to accelerate clean transportation
Infographic & Video: Data Driven—Advancing a sustainable future
The amount of data created doubles every two years, with approximately 2% of the U.S.’s electrical energy going to data centers—more energy than most states use. This rapid growth is creating an expanding energy efficiency gap.
Colorado invests millions in EV charging stations
Colorado air pollution officials finalized a plan to spend a total of $68.7 million on electric and alternative-fuel vehicles as a way to cut car and truck pollution across the state, including $10.3 million specifically for EV charging stations
Decline in cost of renewables hits fossil fuels
The deep decline in the cost of renewables has led to deteriorating economics for generating electricity from fossil fuels, with wind and solar expected to be cheaper than coal by 2023.
FedEx orders Tesla Semi electric trucks
FedEx announced on Mar. 26 that it has placed a reservation for 20 Tesla semi fully-electric trucks. The trucks, scheduled to begin production in 2019 will be operated by FedEx Freight, its less-than-truckload unit.
Microsoft, Salesforce, Switch & GM lead RE Sourcing Forum Program
Executives from Microsoft, Salesforce, Switch and General Motors will be featured speakers at the Spring edition of Smart Energy Decisions’ Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum (RESF) on June 18-20 at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego.
Nestlé moves closer to GHG, RE goals
Nestlé reported that the company has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by over 30% in the last 10 years and has achieved an overall reduction of 26.5% in manufacturing operations vs. 2010. The company remains on track to achieve their 2030 goal of zero environmental impact in all operations.
Weekend reads: Move over, Tesla; Exploring solar's duck curve & more
It's the weekend! Kick back with these must-read energy stories from around the web:
H5 Data Centers Expands RE with RECs
H5 Data Centers, a national colocation and wholesale data center provider, on Mar. 23 announced the purchase of RECS to offset 100% of the energy consumption at its Cleveland data center.
Research finds utilities ill-prepared for EV demand
As the use of electric vehicles (EV) grows, how and when these zero-emission vehicles are charged will be critical. Yet research from the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) shows that most utilities are only in the very early stages of preparing
Microsoft signs largest U.S. corporate solar PPA
Microsoft Corp. announced on Mar. 21 the purchase of 315 MW of energy from Pleinmont I and II, two new solar projects in Virginia, representing the single largest corporate purchase of solar energy ever in the U.S.
Spending bill rejects Trump’s EPA cuts
A $1.3 trillion spending bill released on Mar. 21 by Congressional leaders rejected deep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed by President Trump.
Infographic: UPS powering operations of the future
UPS announced on Mar. 19 that, as part of a consortium, they have deployed a new charging technology in London that overcomes the challenge of simultaneously recharging an entire fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) without the need for the expensive upgrade
AB InBev launches 2025 sustainability goals
AB InBev announced on Mar. 21 a series of sustainability goals for smart agriculture, water stewardship, circular packaging, and climate action, as well as the “100+ Accelerator” to promote local innovations.
McDonald’s sets targets to reduce GHG emissions
McDonald’s announced on Mar. 20 that it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to its restaurants and offices by 36% by 2030 from a 2015 base year. The company also committed to a 31% reduction in emissions intensity per metric ton of food and packaging across its supply chain
UPS premiers smart grid EV charging technology
UPS announced on Mar. 19 that, as part of a consortium, they have deployed a new charging technology in London that overcomes the challenge of simultaneously recharging an entire fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) without the need for the expensive upgrade to the power supply grid.
University of Hawaii to reach 100% onsite RE
The University of Hawaii’s Maui College campus will become among the first in the nation to generate 100% percent of its energy from on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) systems coupled with battery storage.
Close collaboration leads to green tariff that works for businesses and utilities
Data centers are a fast-growing source of energy consumption. While today they consume 2% of the electricity in the US, by 2030 that figure is expected to grow to 10%. Switch, a technology infrastructure corporation, wants to ensure this tremendous growth in energy consumption occurs in the most sustainable way
Facebook and Adobe sign wind PPA in Nebraska
Facebook and Adobe have signed PPAs with Enel Green Power North America, Inc. (EGPNA) for the sale of the energy produced by the 320 MW Rattlesnake Creek wind farm, located in Nebraska.
Rolls-Royce partners on high energy storage tech
Rolls-Royce has signed an agreement with Superdielectrics, a UK-based technology start-up, to explore ways to create "next generation high energy storage technology."
St. Patrick’s Cathedral goes geothermal
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, located in midtown Manhattan, has installed a state-of-the-art geothermal cooling system as part of its nearly $200 million renovation. The new system will replace steam radiators and an air-conditioning system that dates back
Weekend reads: Russians vs. U.S. energy; Learning to love Apple & Facebook & more
It's the weekend! Kick-back with these must-read energy stories from around the web:
IKEA Sustainability Summary Report
IKEA has released their Sustainability Report for fiscal 2017, highlighting their journey to becoming "People & Planet Positive." The report focuses on how IKEA works to increase resource efficiency, generate and use renewable energy,
BASF goes green in Canada
BASF has partnered with Bullfrog Power to provide green electricity for its Canadian corporate headquarters in Ontario as well as production facilities in Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, and Saskatoon.
University of Dayton signs PPA for solar power
The University of Dayton has signed a PPA calling for the installation of 4,026 solar panels with a capacity of 1.26 megawatts, expected to provide approximately 2% of campus-wide power consumption and offset carbon emissions by about 1% annually.
Tesla bids for world’s largest battery system
Xcel Energy has confirmed that it received a bid from Tesla for a major renewable energy and storage project in Colorado that would create the biggest Powerpack battery system in the world if the bid is accepted.
The Next Generation of Energy Cost Reductions
How can companies take advantage of changes in the power market to create opportunities to reduce energy costs and generate revenue? This column, presented by EDF Renewable Energy, explores potential solutions, particularly in onsite, behind-the-meter (BTM) storage and battery programs.
