Proof That New Energy Makes Business Sense

Why is corporate America picking wind power over solar? Google, Microsoft, Dow Chemical and other big companies are buying five times more wind than solar electricity in the race to hit ambitious emissions targets

Scott Thill, 21 December 2016 (UK Guardian)

“Businesses are buying more wind and solar electricity than ever before to help lower their carbon footprint in offices, stores and factories…Wind energy has long been the favorite. Businesses, not counting power companies, signed 2,000 megawatts of it in 2015, a jump from 100 megawatts in 2009…Wind energy [will enable] Google, the largest corporate buyer of renewable electricity in the world, to hit the 100% renewable energy goal…[by] next year. The company has inked 2,548 megawatts of wind contracts and 141 megawatts of solar…Interest in solar energy is growing, but at a slower rate. Solar contracts shot up to 1,070 megawatts in 2015 from 339 megawatts in 2010…As more businesses come under pressure from their customers, investors or government regulators to cut their greenhouse gas emissions and help rein in global warming, they will be looking for low-carbon energy that can compete with the price of coal and natural gas…Wind power costs cratered 66% in the last six years…Prices for solar contracts have dived 63% over the last five years…” click here for more

click to enlarge

Tweet