Energy Exchange

Four Lessons in Corporate Water Efficiency

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 30, 2014

Susannah Harris pictured here on site at Verizon headquarters in Basking Ridge, NJ By: Susannah Harris, 2014 Climate Corps Fellow

I received quizzical looks from family and friends when I told them I was working on water efficiency projects at Verizon this summer. They paused, racking their brains about where water is used within the telecommunications industry. “Like in the bathrooms?” they’d ask.

The reality is that domestic telecom companies rely on billions of gallons of water per year to cool, clean, and maintain the buildings and equipment that support their expansive networks. And because customers require networks to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, much of that equipment is running around the clock. From cooling tower adjustments to grey water recycling, there are a number of water-saving opportunities available for the telecommunications industry. Implementing these practices – thereby reducing municipal water, sewer and energy bills – can also make a noticeable impact on the company’s bottom line. Read More »

Mapping the California Companies Fueling a Cleaner Future

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 18, 2014

By: Emily Reyna, Senior Manager, Partnerships and Alliances

Clean energy and clean tech sound exciting, but most people don’t see these businesses as a major part of our economy, especially when traditional fossil fuels rule at the pump.

But thanks to policies like California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard and cap and trade, more and more businesses are giving us options when we need to get from point A to point B, and they form an increasingly important source of economic growth in the state. From cars running on used vegetable oil (biodiesel) to cars you can plug into your house, new and exciting innovations are fast coming to market.

The new interactive Green Roads Map that EDF created in partnership with CALSTART, Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), and the Natural Resources Defense Council, shows that we have many emerging options for our cars and transportation fleets, and that clean transportation is a flourishing industry in California.

The Green Roads Map is more than just a collection of dots – the map presents an important picture of the investors, researchers, producers, and salespeople who are transforming our economy and transportation system today. Read More »

Posted in Air Quality, California, Clean Energy, Climate, Electric Vehicles, General / Comments are closed

Methane emissions: the weak link in California’s climate plan

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 14, 2014

By Andy Wunder, Policy Intern, US Climate and Energy Program

Nearly seven years ago, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted a 5-year plan to reduce climate pollution in the state. In this 2008 Scoping Plan, measures were outlined reflecting the need to cut methane pollution from oil and gas operations. Though CARB has demonstrated commitment to addressing this urgent issue the need to take action as soon as possible is becoming increasingly clear.

Source: Wikipedia/Makaristos

The Value of Action

Addressing methane emissions is critical. Oil and natural gas production continues to expand rapidly in the United States – and with it the potential for climate-destabilizing methane emissions. Unburned natural gas is primarily methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggests over the first twenty years after it is released into the atmosphere, methane is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) in trapping heat at the Earth’s surface. Methane leaks across the entire natural gas supply chain–from extraction to distribution—and these leaks represent a significant threat to our climate. Read More »

Posted in Methane, Natural Gas / Comments are closed

New Rules, Energy Innovations will Build a Clean Energy Economy

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 9, 2014

Source: Nick Cross/Gurit

By: Karin Rives, EDF Editorial Manager

The United States is expected to spend some $2 trillion over the next two decades upgrading its aging power grid. That spells opportunity for a nation that has always chosen innovation over business as usual.

In a recent op-ed piece in Power Magazine, Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp describes how the United States is now laying the groundwork for a clean energy economy through policies and market forces that are beginning to work in tandem to accelerate change.

The landmark Clean Power Plan that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed in June places the first-ever limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, giving states the incentive to shift to cleaner energy sources and the freedom to design their own paths to compliance. Read More »

Posted in Clean Energy, Renewable Energy / Tagged Clean Power Plan | Comments are closed

Financial Sector Focuses on Risks from Methane

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 2, 2014

By: Sean Wright, Senior Analyst, Corporate Partnerships

Source: Ash Waechter

Environmental concerns about methane emissions continue to grow as more people understand the negative climate implications of this incredibly potent greenhouse gas. Now the financial community is taking note of not only the environmental risks but the impact of methane emissions on the oil and gas industry’s bottom line. Methane leaks not only pollute the atmosphere, but every thousand cubic feet lost represents actual dollars being leaked into thin air—bad business any way you look at it.

Last week the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)—a collaborative effort aimed at improving corporate performance on environmental, social and government issues—released their provisional accounting standards for the non-renewable resources sector, which includes oil and gas production.

These accounting standards guide companies on how to measure and disclose environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks that impact a company’s financial performance. Their work highlights the growing demand amongst investors and stakeholders for companies to report information beyond mere financial metrics in order to provide a more holistic view of a company’s position.

Read More »

Posted in Energy Financing, Methane, Natural Gas / Tagged Finance, Methane, Natural Gas | Read 4 Responses

Clean Energy Conferences Roundup: July 2014

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 1, 2014

Source: National Retail Federation Flickr

Each month, the Energy Exchange rounds up a list of top clean energy conferences around the country. Our list includes conferences at which experts from the EDF Clean Energy Program will be speaking, plus additional events that we think our readers may benefit from marking on their calendars.

Top clean energy conferences featuring EDF experts in July:

July 1: Alliance to Save Energy Congressional Briefing, Washington, DC
Speaker: Elgie Holstein, Senior Director for Strategic Planning

This summer the Alliance to Save Energy will be bringing Energy 2030 to Capitol Hill, hosting a series of congressional briefings focused on the three pillars of Energy 2030 – invest, modernize, and educate. The briefings will invite elected officials and their staff to speak with Alliance Associates and Energy 2030 supporters about innovative financing mechanisms (June), high-performance buildings (July) and benchmarking, rating & disclosure (August). Read More »

Posted in Clean Energy, Conference Roundup / Comments are closed