将公司清洁能源承诺转化为行动
In the days after President Donald Trump’s announcement to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, more than 1,200 cities, states, universities, and corporations declared,"We are still in."这些承诺,前纽约市长Michael Bloomberg提交联合国气候变化框架公约(UNFCCC),包括超过260家公司,包括百事可乐和沃尔玛的承诺,以减少其温室气体排放,符合最新科学。
这是今年的背景reba summitat边缘17., where over 400 energy leaders gathered to discuss opportunities and work through challenges around corporate procurement of clean energy. (REBA stands for Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance.)
硅谷活动的与会者占财富100的66%和大约500%的财富500强公司,这些公司已经采取了公众可持续性承诺。竞彩足球app怎么下载同样,超过100家公司致力于RE100,一个联盟来源100%可再生能源,100多家公司已准备好通过Business Renewables Center(BRC).
These commitments show that in fact, we arestill in. But we must now move from "intent" into "action." Doing that requires not only forward-looking leadership on the part of the United States, but also that renewable energy buyers understand the economics of renewables to make the right choices.
通用电机是这个的主要例子。在reba峰会期间,它宣布一个新的200兆瓦风能协议,将在中西部提供其制造工厂,并使该公司的可再生能源覆盖范围高达2018年所有电力使用的20%。为了复制其成功,这里有三个因素在转动时应考虑承诺成果:购买可再生能源通常是解决可持续性和稳定性的最简单和最有意义的方法。竞彩足球app怎么下载
1. Corporate pledges influence power markets
Corporations around the United States are stepping up their investments in renewable energy for many reasons. Boards, shareholders and consumers are demanding that corporates address sustainability. Not only is purchasing renewables often the easiest and most meaningful way to do this, but it also helps corporations take greater control of their energy futures through greater stability and reliability. Many companies are looking to lock in low wind and solar prices and to diversify against rising fossil fuel costs.
从公司进行可再生能源的推动正在推动市场。例如,富含煤的西弗吉尼亚州的阿巴拉契亚力量正在向风和太阳能转变,近年来已关闭三种燃煤植物。由于初始讨论其母公司,美国电力(AEP),与包括沃尔玛,Facebook,希尔顿(包括沃尔玛,希尔顿)和宝宝在内的公司举行的峰会召开,这是一部分。据最近纽约时报文章“这些公司强调,如果他们将在AEP地区扩展其业务,他们将需要获得低碳能源。”
随着更多公司将其承诺转变为行动,他们正在向电力生产商,监管机构和政策制定者发送一个重要的市场信号,这些产品被估值的能量有价值,市场应相应地调整。通过公司买家直接提供的可再生能力超过7.5千兆瓦(GW),这一需求不会很快消失。
2. Corporate action influences location
Our historically low natural gas prices aresuppressing power prices across the United States. Renewable energy is competing with natural gas that is so cheap, even coal can’t compete. But despite that installed wind and solar costs已下降了40%和64%since 2008, respectively, no coal plants at all are being run today on the wholesale electricity market — an indication of just how challenging it is to compete on cost with cheap natural gas.
Even while renewables are still finding success in this environment, a lot of wind or solar coming online all at once can cause congestion, necessitate curtailment and in some cases, affect the economics for renewables in certain parts of the country. This means that anyone looking to invest in a new renewables project must fully consider regional risks such as competing gas assets or limited transmission infrastructure. At the end of the day, companies need to think of renewables just like real estate: it’s all about location, location, location.
3.公司必须了解经济学
可再生能源对该国许多地区的成本具有竞争力,但这并不意味着每个交易或电力购买协议将在经济上可行。在DERICUPATIOM批发市场中,公司可以支持在网格上推出新的可再生能源,买家面临经济难题,这些难题是不断变化的。
为购买可再生能源的经济论点,买家不得考虑能源成本,也不得评估他们将支付的固定成本与他们将收到的浮动市场价格之间的关系。
The good news is that many companies are investing in education and expertise to grow their institutional understanding of the electricity markets. From seasoned players such as Google to new entrants in the market such as furniture manufacturer Steelcase, having a knowledgeable energy team is a critical step toward actionable sustainability practices. Arming those individuals with the right tools is also important. In its role as a nonprofit, the BRC works to help develop tools such as itsMarket Analysis Platform(帮助用户通过估算买方可能预期的固定成本以及买方预计基于实际市场数据的浮动市场价格,可以快速评估全国各地超过4,000多个地区的假设风或太阳能设施。配备知识和分析,公司成功地完成经济智能的可再生能源交易。
Bottom line: It’s time for global leadership
美国正面临着关键的经济时刻。清洁能源行业将有更少的领导机会,即观察更多的需求 - 不少 - 来自世界各地最重要的跨国公司。
To capture the greatest economic growth from this wave of corporate renewable energy demand and the falling costs of renewable energy, the United States must commit to a forward-looking stance on climate and energy issues both domestically and internationally. As Trump moves to exit the Paris Climate Agreement, companies and cities are taking up the void, yet political leadership still leaves a vacuum in global agendas, which leads to a different global competitiveness dynamic.
In a最近的证词to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the BRC stated that "the cost curves for renewable technologies continue to point downwards, and without the United States’ leadership, companies and investors naturally will seek out more vibrant and growing markets elsewhere."
清洁能源的经济投资还包括投资整体电力基础设施。现在市场依靠陈旧的电动系统,这是我们看到价格压力的一个原因。投资基础设施,如建立更多高压传输线,加上投资新技术,将带来较低的成本和长期工作,而不是更换老化化石燃料厂。
各种规模的公司have a role to play — from on-site rooftop solar, to large off-site procurement of renewables, to advocacy and public support for policies that can benefit the new, evolving energy system. Businesses already have provided a powerful voice for this new industry. Now is the time to go beyond vocal support, however, and start turning intent into action.