Renewable Energy Articles | Page 226

The year 2020 was certainly one for the history books, and for many of us, the cycle of bad news throwing wrenches into our lives and our livelihoods could not have ended soon enough. In terms of energy policy, however, the year brought some good along with the bad. In this column, Caitlin Marquis of AEE reflects on the trends that dominated energy policy in 2020 and will be shaping the debate for the year ahead. 

Volkswagen announced Dec. 29 that it plans to install nearly 750 new electric vehicle charging stations in 2021 as part of a planned expansion of its charging infrastructure in Germany.

Agilent Technologies recently announced that it added three new solar sites that will offset 277 metric tons of carbon in 2019 and made progress toward its energy targets.

The Alliance Center, an event and collaborative working space in downtown Denver, Colo., announced Jan. 5 that it will be installing a Vehicle-to-Building energy system onsite to provide power to the building through electric vehicles at the location.

Monolith Materials, a chemical and hydrogen company, announced Jan. 4 that it signed a letter-of-intent to procure enough renewable energy resources from Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) to generate two million MWh annually, keeping its Olive Creek production facility emissions-free.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.