There’s Definitely Something in the Wind

Those who bemoan the seemingly slow adoption of renewable energy in the U.S. should take heart. Not only is the use of solar energy growing at rates well beyond those predicted as recently as last year, but so many companies have recently announced major renewable energy (RE) initiatives that it looks like we’re going to need a bigger bandwagon pretty soon.

It’s hard to keep up with all the new developments, pledges and commitments businesses large and small are announcing of late. Here are just a few examples.

IKEA just bought the Hoopeston Wind farm, comprising 49 turbines in Vermillion County, Illinois. This is their first wind farm investment in the U.S. and their largest renewable energy project ever. Set to become operational in 2015, Hoopeston will generate 380 GWh per year ­– nearly 1.5 times the energy needed to operate all of IKEA’s U.S. operations.

Late last year, Microsoft announced that under a 20-year power purchase agreement, it plans to purchase the entire output of the 55-turbine, 110 MW Keechi Wind Project farm in Texas to power one of its data centers. The move is a departure from most of Microsoft’s renewable energy efforts to date, which primarily have been in the form of buying renewable energy credits (RECs).

Facebook reported its own new wind power initiative last winter: When its new data center in Altoona, Iowa, goes online in 2015, it will be 100 percent powered by a wind farm in nearby Wellsburg. Currently under construction, this farm is expected to produce 138 MW for the Iowa grid.

Then of course there’s Google. Long a leader in energy efficiency and renewable energy, in April it announced its largest RE purchase to date: a deal to purchase up to 407 MW of 100-percent renewable wind energy to power its data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. This purchase brings Google’s renewable energy commitments to more than one gigawatt.

Kohl’s, Intel, Walmart, Volkswagen … the list of companies investing directly in renewable power generation to meet their own energy needs goes on and on. Given the high price tags on wind farms and large solar arrays, it’s not surprising that these are all companies with very deep pockets. But it’s telling that a growing number of businesses that have the money to spend – particularly ones with gargantuan energy needs – spend it not just on NASCAR sponsorships, stadium naming rights and Super Bowl commercials.

It makes more than financial sense.

So why has the bandwagon gained such momentum in the business world? “Because it’s the right thing to do” may be part of the answer: Shelton Group’s B2B Pulse report found that company culture/CEO or owner values are the second strongest driver behind business sustainability initiatives. However, IKEA CFO Rob Olson said his company invests in RE “not only because of the environmental impact, but also because it makes good financial sense.” Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) president Rhone Resch similarly states that a solar commitment is “a street-smart investment. […] companies are expanding their use of solar because it makes sense from both a business and social responsibility viewpoint.”

The business case for renewable energy is fairly well established and has become even stronger in the past year, particularly in RE’s ability to work toward lower and stabilized operating costs. The social responsibility viewpoint cited by Resch is also becoming increasingly important to companies of all sizes. Shelton’s Eco Pulse 2013 report revealed that the importance of corporate reputation continues to rise in the minds of consumers and can have a significant influence on their purchase decisions. More than 48 percent of survey respondents said that a company’s environmental reputation had some to very much impact on their decision about whether to buy its products.

And Americans are in love with the idea of renewable energy. In our Energy Pulse 2013 study, when asked to rank national energy issues in the order in which they should be tackled, the development of alternative energy sources was ranked first – higher, on average, than the development of more domestic oil and natural gas.

All the recent good news is heartening. However, there is plenty of room left on the bandwagon, and it appears that companies not pursuing renewable energy in some form, whether directly or through RECs, may soon risk appearing anachronistic, if not downright irresponsible, at the ultimate expense of their bottom lines.