NEWARK AND HOUSTON – New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and a subsidiary of ENGIE North America, announced today that the university will purchase renewable energy from a portfolio of hydropower facilities equal to nearly 100% of its forecasted electricity consumption. This agreement achieves one of the strongest commitments for renewable power procurement in a retail energy purchase.

“NJIT’s commitment to sustainability is a main pillar of our strategic plan,” said Andrew P. Christ, senior vice president Real Estate Development and Capital Operations. “Through the procurement of energy from sustainable resources, the university will reduce its carbon footprint as part of its orientation to integrate sustainability into our community’s daily life.” 

ENGIE Resources and Premier Energy Group jointly designed a unique solution that will help NJIT achieve its pursuit of and progress toward making sustainability an institutional learning goal embedded throughout the campus experience and academic curriculum.

For 2022, NJIT shall purchase approximately 43,800 megawatt-hours of supply of renewable, clean generation from the Smoky Mountain Hydropower portfolio located along the North Carolina-Tennessee border. The hydropower portfolio is owned and operated by New York-based Brookfield Renewable U.S.

The agreement includes the purchase of an equivalent number of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from the Smoky Mountain Hydropower portfolio. By investing in RECs, NJIT is helping increase demand for renewable energy, encouraging the development of new renewable energy projects, and providing generator owners with additional revenue that goes beyond selling the facility’s electricity.

The renewable energy in this agreement avoids more than 31,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions over the span of the contract, which represents the equivalent carbon capture of over 38,000 acres of forest.*

The renewable energy deal is part of a larger sustainability campaign at NJIT that reduces energy and mitigates waste through efforts such as a future expansion of on-campus renewable energy generation through the installation of a 500 kW solar panel field on the Wellness and Events Center and a university-wide food composting program.

“Hydropower is clean and affordable. It’s the world’s largest source of renewable electricity generation, and the only energy source that creates recreational opportunities,” said Sayun Sukduang, Chief Executive Officer at ENGIE Resources. “NJIT is a perfect partner to help promote sustainability through the next generation of leaders.”

The Smoky Mountain Hydropower portfolio consists of four hydropower facilities located along the Little Tennessee and Cheoah rivers in Tennessee and North Carolina, with a total installed capacity of 375 megawatts. The facilities are certified by the Low Impact Hydropower Institute in recognition of the suite of stringent science-based environmental protection standards and social and cultural criteria that the generators meet.

*EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator

 

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About NJIT

One of only 35 polytechnic universities in the United States, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a top-tier research university that spurs economic growth and prepares students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT is one of only 131 universities rated an “R1” research university by the Carnegie Classification®, which indicates the highest level of research activity. NJIT conducts more than $155 million in research activity each year and has a $2.8 billion annual economic impact on the State of New Jersey. Ranked No. 1 nationally by Forbes for the upward economic mobility of its lowest-income students, NJIT also is ranked in the top 2% of colleges and universities nationally for the mid-career earnings of graduates, according to PayScale.com. NJIT is ranked No. 39 nationally by The Princeton Review as a Best Value College and is rated among the top 50 public colleges and universities nationwide by U.S. News & World Report.

About ENGIE North America

ENGIE North America Inc. offers a range of capabilities in the United States and Canada to help customers decarbonize, decentralize and digitalize their operations. These include comprehensive services to help customers run their facilities more efficiently and optimize energy and other resource use and expense; clean power generation; energy storage; and retail energy supply that includes renewable, demand response, and on-bill financing options. Nearly 100% of the company’s power generation portfolio is low carbon or renewable. Globally, ENGIE S.A. is a global reference in low-carbon energy and services, that relies on their key businesses (gas, renewable energy, services) to offer competitive solutions to customers. With 170,000 employees, customers, partners and stakeholders, the group is committed to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral world, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally-friendly solutions.

About Premier Energy Group

Premier Energy Group, LLC is a leading energy consulting and brokering company with headquarters in Middlesex, New Jersey. Services include energy procurement and energy management for commercial and industrial customers throughout the United States, with a primary focus on the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. With extensive experience in the utility and deregulated energy industry, Premier Energy provides customized energy management strategies.  For more information, visit www.premierenergygroup.com.

About Brookfield Renewables U.S.

Brookfield Renewable U.S., based in New York City, is a leading owner, operator and developer of renewable power, delivering innovative renewable power solutions that accelerate the world towards a sustainable, low-carbon future. Our diversified portfolio of hydropower, wind, solar and storage facilities extends across 34 states, totaling approximately 8,050 megawatts of generating capacity. Brookfield Renewable U.S.’s generating, trading and marketing businesses are a part of Toronto-based Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P., (NYSE: BEP; TSX: BEP.UN), one of the world’s largest publicly traded, renewable power platforms.

 

Media Contact:

NJIT: mediarelations@njit.edu, (973) 596 3172

ENGIE North America: Andrea Sanchez, andrea.sanchez@engie.com, (888) 364 4334

Underscores critical and practical steps needed on Canada’s journey to net-zero

 

ENGIE North America, as a long time board member and supporter of Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) and its predecessors, fully supports the critical and practical steps set out in CanREA’s recently released [Vision 2050] to transform Canada to net-zero by mid-century.

CanREA’s Vision lays out clear recommendations on the transition needed not only in the further development of renewable resources such as wind and solar, but just as important, the increased electrification of the Canadian economy, modernized grid infrastructure and relevant regulatory frameworks that will be required to support and accelerate a net-zero future.

ENGIE North America is a leader in developing and managing renewable energy projects and is proud to have operated renewable wind and solar production in Canada since 2007, from our turbines on Prince Edward Island across the country to Cape Scott on Vancouver Island. As a developer and operator, we understand what it means to be part of communities for the long term. The community and stakeholder engagement elements of CanREA’s vision form a key part of how the vision can translate into benefits for all those playing a role to address the climate challenges we face.

As organizations, provinces, cities and communities increasingly demand opportunities to accelerate their own journeys towards net-zero, CanREA’s Vision 2050 provides an inclusive approach to meeting those demands.

“The proposals laid out in CanREA’s Vision 2050 are both critical and practical steps to accelerating Canada’s journey to Net-Zero.” said Dave Carroll, Chief Renewables Officer, ENGIE North America. “The deployment of renewables must be accompanied by the transformation of the electrical infrastructure and regulatory frameworks that will turn this vision into reality. The CanREA Vision provides a clear path forward on what is needed.”

“Bringing our net-zero vision to reality will require a unique collaboration between multiple stakeholders across Canada and we welcome the commitment and dedication of CanREA members like ENGIE North America,” said Robert Hornhung, CEO CanREA.

About ENGIE North America

ENGIE North America Inc. offers a range of capabilities in the United States and Canada to help customers decarbonize, decentralize and digitalize their operations. These include comprehensive services to help customers run their facilities more efficiently and optimize energy and other resource use and expense; clean power generation; energy storage; and retail energy supply that includes renewable, demand response, and on-bill financing options. Nearly 100% of the company’s power generation portfolio is low carbon or renewable. Globally, ENGIE S.A. is a global reference in low-carbon energy and services, that relies on their key businesses (gas, renewable energy, services) to offer competitive solutions to customers. With 170,000 employees, customers, partners and stakeholders, the group is committed to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral world, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally-friendly solutions.

Media Contact:

ENGIE North America: Sandrine Deparis, sandrine.deparis@engie.com, (202) 855-3705

In 2017, Boston University (BU) approved a bold Climate Action Plan to reach carbon neutrality across its campuses by 2040 and to prepare its campuses for the impacts of climate change.

 

The plan–which is a decade ahead of a similar effort by the City of Boston–involves energy efficiency upgrades, shifting to electricity for heating and cooling where possible, as well as purchasing power from renewable energy resources.

Because the University did not have the option for large-scale on-site renewables due to its dense urban setting, it opted instead for a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) that included significant emissions reduction impacts and critical economic benefits.

BU turned to Edison Energy, who identified the Triple H Wind Project to help reach its 2040 target.

Located in Hyde County, South Dakota, the 250 MW wind farm–which came online last year and was developed by renewable energy provider ENGIE North America and its affiliates —is expected to reduce BU’s carbon emissions by 53%. Sited in a rural area where large-scale energy projects bring much-needed economic support, the wind farm will generate approximately $36 million in state and local tax revenue over its lifetime.

BU’s contracted 48.6MW of capacity from the Triple H Wind Project is expected to produce 205,000 Green-e Certified RECs (Renewable Energy Credits) each year. The University will receive and retire the RECs to claim credit for the emissions reductions from the wind farm.

“This is a trend we’re seeing with many different customers,” said Laura Caspari, VP, Head of Power Marketing and Commercial Strategy at ENGIE North America. “At universities and colleges, there is significant grassroots pressure from students for those institutions to set and attain meaningful sustainability goals and they are seeking PPAs to meet those goals. The institutions have large energy consumption and socially conscious campuses and stakeholders, which form the impetus for that kind of change. BU was a little ahead of others, which puts them at the forefront to a certain extent.”

Caspari also noted an uptick in aggregated procurements, where multiple campuses aggregate their electricity demand and then enter into a joint PPA.

“The grid where the Triple H Wind Project resides is within the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), and that’s a grid that relies heavily on coal power–more than some other parts of the U.S.,” she said. “The impact of the Triple H Wind Project supplanting coal emissions is higher in that area. It reduces the need to dispatch coal plants in the region, so it reduces regional greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and of course that improves the local air and water quality and increases biodiversity.”

The SPP has members in 14 states and lists coal as the top fuel type for energy production, coming in at 38.6%. The region also generates 29.5% of its power from wind resources, indicative of a growing trend in the region.

South Dakota’s total electricity net generation in 2020 was almost two and a half times greater than it was in 2008, primarily because of increased generation from wind, hydropower, and natural gas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). In 2020, hydroelectric power accounted for half of the state’s net electricity generation, while remaining generation came almost entirely from wind, coal, and natural gas.

Last year, wind power supplied about one-third of South Dakota’s total electricity generation, with the state currently hosting approximately 25 large-scale wind farms along with many smaller wind projects, resulting in nearly 3,000 MW of installed wind energy.

 

Economic benefits

With South Dakota largely dependent on agriculture, local economies are particularly sensitive to world commodity prices and weather. The Triple H Wind Project has helped drive local and regional economic benefits, adding significant revenue to farming operations.

Rural landowners and farmers who host or live near the wind farm receive payments through easement agreements. Because only a small portion of the land under lease is used for the wind farm, agricultural operations can continue largely undisturbed.

The wind farm also resulted in 400 jobs during the construction phase, 11 full-time permanent jobs during project operation, and robust spending at local stores, hotels, and restaurants.

Together with millions in taxes over the life of the project, and donations to local entities, the wind farm is expected to provide more $130 million in local economic benefits.

For ENGIE North America, the success of a project is also judged by the benefits it brings to local communities. This goes beyond actual project operations, with the developer prioritizing meaningful engagement and relationships with neighborhood organizations, leadership, and residents.

“The Triple H Wind Project team donated a new freezer, washer, and dryer to a local community daycare association called Hand in Hand, a charity organization in South Dakota that relies heavily on donations from the community,” Caspari said. “Childcare is becoming scarcer, more expensive and an issue during Covid, so it was a really timely donation.”

But it hasn’t stopped there, Caspari said, noting that ENGIE North America has also made donations to local community events, including sponsorship of a local high school rodeo and other community initiatives.

The Triple H Wind Project continues to garner attention for its many environmental benefits, including from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which recently named BU as one of five recipients of its 2021 Green Power Leadership Awards. The EPA cited BU’s contract as the largest single active VPPA by any of the 126 colleges and universities in its Green Power Partnership. 

 

About ENGIE

Earlier this year, the ENGIE Group announced its ambition to become net zero by 2045, covering all emissions across its value chain. This long-term ambition is complemented by intermediary targets for 2025 and 2030 and the commitment to maintain a trajectory compatible with well below 2 degrees Celsius.

The ENGIE Group also aims to support its clients in their energy transition and has committed to contributing 45Mt to the decarbonization of clients by 2030, positioning itself as a global leader in the industry.

In the U.S. and Canada, ENGIE North America owns and operates more than 3 GW of installed wind and solar capacity and continues to pursue its commitment to sustainability through increasing its renewable energy footprint.

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As a founding member, ENGIE joined today the First Movers Coalition (FMC), officially launched at the COP 26. The coalition is a partnership between the World Economic Forum and the U.S. Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. By joining the coalition, ENGIE aims to bolster demand and supply for low-carbon technologies, crucial to reducing global emissions and reaching the 2050 climate goals.

Focusing on hard-to-abate sectors, where green gases and green fuels are required – in particular aviation, shipping, trucking, steel – the First Movers Coalition is a new collective initiative aiming at accelerating by 2030 the development at scale of competitive net zero carbon supply chains. Member companies are to spur net zero demand and supply by committing to purchasing zero-emission solutions for a portion of their value chains.

Committed to making the FMC a success and in line with the Group’s existing commitment to have 100% of its preferred suppliers SBTi certified by 2030, ENGIE aims at setting clear targets to support the decarbonization of its customers and of the global economy.

The Group intends to also fully embrace its role as a net zero solutions supplier for hard-to-abate sectors, in line with its ambitions in renewable energy and distributed infrastructure, targeting especially 4 GW of renewable hydrogen capacity by 2030.

Catherine MacGregor, ENGIE CEO, said: “ENGIE is very proud to be a founding member of the First Movers Coalition. As a leader of the energy transition and an industrial player, ENGIE is committed to supporting the development of competitive net zero supply chains at scale. Joining this cross-sectoral coalition is one more step in ENGIE’s longstanding commitment to net zero and is in line with the Group’s purpose to accelerate the energy transition.”

 

About ENGIE

Our group is a global reference in low-carbon energy and services. Together with our 170,000 employees, our
customers, partners and stakeholders, we are committed to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral
world, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally friendly solutions. Inspired by our purpose
(“raison d’être”), we reconcile economic performance with a positive impact on people and the planet, building on
our key businesses (gas, renewable energy, services) to offer competitive solutions to our customers.
Turnover in 2020: 55.8 billion Euros. The Group is listed on the Paris and Brussels stock exchanges (ENGI) and is
represented in the main financial indices (CAC 40, Euronext 100, FTSE Eurotop 100, MSCI Europe) and nonfinancial indices (DJSI World, DJSI Europe, Euronext Vigeo Eiris – Eurozone 120/ Europe 120/ France 20, MSCI
EMU ESG, MSCI Europe ESG, Stoxx Europe 600 ESG, and Stoxx Global 1800 ESG). 
 

 

ENGIE HQ Press contact:

Tel. +33 (0)1 44 22 24 35

Email – engiepress@engie.com

Twitter – ENGIEpress

ENGIE has mobilized its resources to pioneer a low-carbon future for both the people and our planet. Today, we make our commitments even clearer with the 2045 Carbon Neutrality Pledge — our pathway to achieving net zero in all our business activities.

 

The planet needs our urgency. With objectives for 2030 ENGIE employs inventive technologies that convert natural elements into energy and initiates business activities in favor of a carbon-neutral world. 

The report details action ENGIE North America is taking, together with customers and communities, to achieve a carbon neutral future.

The report outlines: 

  • Impressive statistics, like: 
    – The addition of nearly 2 GW of renewable generation, which — in addition to the divestiture of thermal generation resources — increased the share of zero-carbon generation in our portfolio to 72%;
    – The avoidance of more than 3.2 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent in 2020;
    – The funding of the creation of nearly 3,000 construction jobs in 40 counties in 12 states and created 150 jobs in rural communities. 
     
  • Explanations of our main Corporate and Cities Power Purchasing Agreements like the ones with Amazon (wind and solar projects)  Hartnell College (solar project) and QTS Data Centers (storage project).
     
  • Several customer and partner interviews that discuss ENGIE North America’s collaboration and solution-oriented approach to achieve client energy goals. 
     
  • Leading in biodiversity with:
    – A study of Mt. Tom, the largest utility-scale storage and community solar farm in Massachusetts, to assess whether fencing and arrays deter wildlife use—none was found; and
    – Bird and bat conservation strategies developed for all wind projects, and post-construction monitoring programs initiated at all facilities after they begin commercial operation. 

This report is a powerful illustration of ENGIE North America’s mission in the zero-carbon transition by accelerating the deployment of clean, affordable, innovative and resilient energy solutions. 

In addition to the focus on sustainability, the report also outlines actions ENGIE North America is taking in diversity, equity and inclusion, such as taking a stand against racism; a commitment to growth, training and development; an outline of education institution relationships; and more. 

Read more about our efforts in the 2020 Sustainability Report.

For more information about our global strategy, please also read ENGIE’s updated Integrated Report, which provides a comprehensive, forward-looking vision of the Group, its purpose, ambition, strategy, objectives, governance and value creation. We look forward to creating a carbon-neutral future together.

I was excited to hear yesterday that President Biden has taken significant action on the climate crisis and signed three executive orders committed to creating an equitable clean energy future, building sustainable infrastructure and jobs, and ensuring scientific integrity and evidence-based policymaking. The orders’ ambitious goals align closely with our own purpose of creating a carbon-neutral future and include achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and a net-zero economy by 2050.

 

This action also takes a “whole-of-government” approach and establishes the White House Office of Domestic Climate policy, led by the country’s first-ever National Climate Advisor, and catalyzes the creation of jobs in manufacturing, construction and engineering to accelerate clean energy projects in an environmentally sustainable manner. This includes directing federal agencies to procure carbon pollution-free electricity and zero-emission vehicles to promote clean-energy jobs and stimulate clean-energy industries. 

This new push towards bolstering clean-energy industries, reducing climate pollution and building a sustainable infrastructure reinforces the work we are doing here at ENGIE. We will be keeping a close eye on the evolution and implementation of these orders and are enthusiastic about the benchmarks that have been established. I look forward to the increased investment in alternative energy and clean-energy solutions that we will see in the coming years. 

– Gwenaëlle Avice-Huet, CEO ENGIE North America

April 22, 2020 – Houston – Today, as the world marks another Earth Day, ENGIE North America released its inaugural Sustainability Report. Download it on engie-na.com.

 

Fitting hand-in-glove with the 2020 Earth Day theme of “Climate Action”, the report details action ENGIE North America is taking, together with customers and communities, to achieve a zero-carbon future. The report outlines:

  • Impressive statistics, like:
       – a record-setting year of building nearly 500 MW of renewable capacity with 2GW currently in construction,
       – a 22.4% reduction of our direct CO2 emissions since 2017
       – women account for 38% of the ENGIE North America Executive Committee
  • Explanations of our main Corporate and Cities Power Purchasing Agreements (PPA)s like the ones with Walmart and The City of Philadelphia, and unique client relationships that span decades, such as those with Ohio State University, the University of Iowa and more.
  • Several customer and partner interviews that discuss ENGIE North America’s collaboration and solution-oriented approach to achieve client energy goals.

This report is a powerful illustration of ENGIE North America’s mission in the zero-carbon transition by accelerating the deployment of clean, affordable, innovative and resilient energy solutions.

“The crisis we are going through must not make us forget the other critical global challenge, climate change. Recovery will have to be green, sustainable and inclusive,” said Gwenaelle Avice-Huet, Executive Vice-President of ENGIE and CEO of ENGIE North America. “At ENGIE we are fully mobilized to make zero-carbon transition accessible for our customers. We look forward to continuing our role as a trusted partner for clients and communities as we take action together to fight climate change.”

In addition to the focus on sustainability, the report also outlines actions ENGIE North America is taking in diversity and inclusion, such as the company’s commitment to have women in half of all management positions by 2030; a commitment to responsible purchasing; an outline of education institution relationships; and more.

About ENGIE North America
ENGIE North America Inc. offers a range of capabilities in the United States and Canada to help customers decarbonize, decentralize and digitalize their operations. These include comprehensive services to help customers run their facilities more efficiently and optimize energy and other resource use and expense; clean power generation; energy storage; and retail energy supply that includes renewable, demand response, and on-bill financing options. Nearly 100% of the company’s power generation portfolio is low carbon or renewable. Globally, ENGIE S.A. is the largest independent power producer and energy efficiency services provider in the world, employing 160,000 people in 70 countries. For more information on ENGIE North America, please visit our LinkedIn page or Twitter feed, www.engie-na.com and www.engie.com.

June 13, 2018 – Houston, TX – ENGIE is once again creating a better world through innovative energy solutions by supplying renewable energy certificates (RECs) to Smart Energy Decisions’ Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum to be held June 18-20 at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, California. The Green-e® certified RECs will offset 100 percent of the three-day event’s anticipated energy consumption, while helping to fund the development and operation of domestic sources of renewable energy.

 

The announcement marks the second Smart Energy Decisions conference ENGIE has supported with RECs in 2018, further illustrating the energy leader’s commitment to promoting sustainable strategies. The certificates supplied at each event represent the environmental attributes or benefits associated with a specific quantity of energy generated from a renewable source, such as wind or solar.

Ken Cowan, Vice President of Solutions Sales and Marketing at ENGIE North America, said, “As the demand for decarbonized energy continues to grow both nationally and globally, we are proud to demonstrate our ability to provide customers with a range of renewable products that support a more sustainable future. Our supply of RECs to Smart Energy Decisions is one of many opportunities we are incorporating into environmentally responsible energy management solutions, and we’re proud to support the Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum in this regard.”

ENGIE’s capabilities in renewable products span from RECs and green power supply to custom structured solutions and traditional and virtual power purchase agreements to support the development of new renewable generation assets. The Solutions Sales team integrates these capabilities with energy efficiency, information services, demand response, and distributed generation opportunities to optimize supply, demand, and operations and achieve energy management targets.

John Failla, Founder and Editor of Smart Energy Decisions, said, “We’re honored to have the continued backing of ENGIE – a leader in the world’s transformation to a low-carbon energy economy. Our aim at Smart Energy Decisions is to deliver the information and resources required to accelerate the adoption of sustainable solutions. ENGIE’s position in the market complements that commitment as we work to drive change in support of the energy transition taking shape in today’s power markets.”

The Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum is an invitation-only conference designed to help large energy users build and execute renewable energy sourcing strategies. The biannual event is operated by Smart Energy Decisions, a web-based information resource dedicated to delivering commercial and industrial consumers news, analysis, research, and opinions that drive more informed decisions.

For more information on Smart Energy Decisions, visit www.smartenergydecisions.com.

About ENGIE in North America
ENGIE manages a range of energy businesses in the United States and Canada, including electricity generation and cogeneration, natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) distribution and sales, retail energy sales, and services to help customers run their facilities more efficiently and optimize energy use and expense.

About ENGIE
ENGIE is committed to taking on the major challenges of the energy revolution, towards a world more decarbonized, decentralized, and digitalized. The Group aims to become the leader of this new energy world by focusing on three key activities for the future: low carbon generation in particular from natural gas and renewable energy, energy infrastructure, and efficient solutions adapted to all its customers (individuals, businesses, territories, etc.). Innovation, digital solutions, and customer satisfaction are the guiding principles of ENGIE’s development. ENGIE is active in around 70 countries, employs 150,000 people worldwide and achieved revenues of 66.6 billion in 2016. The Group is listed on the Paris and Brussels stock exchanges (ENGI) and is represented in the main financial indices (CAC 40, BEL 20, DJ Euro Stoxx 50, Euronext 100, FTSE Eurotop 100, MSCI Europe) and non-financial indices (DJSI World, DJSI Europe and Euronext Vigeo Eiris – World 120, Eurozone 120, Europe 120, France 20, CAC 40 Governance).