Energy & Infrastructure

When climate change deniers find new evidence that suggests humans might not be driving climate change, that evidence cannot “disprove” anthropogenic climate change. Instead, the evidence might only slightly reduce its probability.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), renewable energy sources could account for more than 70 percent of the global energy supply by 2050. The figure may be based on optimistic assumptions, but one thing is clear: Our future energy supply will come from renewable resources. However, several obstacles need to be overcome before we get to that point.

National Grid recently completed a major upgrade to its portion of a 960-mile, 450 kilovolt high-voltage direct-current, or HVDC, transmission system that has been delivering clean, carbon-free electricity from Canada to New England for the past 25 years. National Grid is the majority owner of the US portion of the system, which it operates on behalf of some 35 other energy providers. The $27 million project took approximately three years and was completed on time and on budget.

In the latest Build 100 Blog article, John Gϋlen, senior principal engineer at Bechtel, explores clean power-generation solutions for customers and countries that base their energy consumption on fossil fuels.

Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) announced on July 12, 2016 that two Southern California Edison (SCE) clean energy programs have received Green-e Energy certification—”Green Rate,” a voluntary program offering a 50% and 100% renewable energy option to SCE residential and commercial customers in California, and “Community Renewables,” a program that allows customers to contract directly with developers of clean energy facilities and receive bill credit through the utility. Clean energy generation for both programs will be located in California, and will not count towards the State’s 50% by 2030 renewable portfolio standard goal. Energy generated will be in addition to this goal.

Chief Sustainability Officer, Cindy Ortega, discusses our latest decision to improve our renewable energy portfolio.

TransCanada officially released its 2015 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, which highlights the company’s commitment to operating safely and in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner.

In June, CSX released its sixth annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report, tracking the company’s performance against key goals and exploring the issues important to diverse stakeholders who work with, live near, and ultimately depend on this company.

Airports have traditionally been viewed as a prime source of anti-environmental activity. Whether it is the high amount of air pollution from the airplanes, the high energy consumption levels within the airport, or the noise pollution that is generated as a plane takes off or lands, the airport systems have been low on sustainability in almost every major area.