|
May 2007: Eric Landis, Cadence Network, Inc.
Public perception, environmental concerns and pressure from investors in recent years have fueled energy companies to produce clean energy and rely less on fossil fuels. As a result, it’s now easier than ever to be green in the Lone Star State.
The reason is that environmentally conscious customers successfully pressured businesses, which in turn pressured energy suppliers, to reduce their fossil fuel use — a simple case of supply and demand. As easy and environmentally sound as it is to run a business on green energy, getting started can leave many feeling blue. However, jumping on the clean energy bandwagon is an essential part of doing business in the 21st Century.
Converting to renewable sources now will save headaches down the line when state energy initiatives are increased. Plus, commercial property owners that use clean energy could save money over the local utility rate and make a public statement about their commitment to the environment. With the green energy movement all the rage, it’s easy to make the switch.
A Wind Of Change
As much as 80 percent to 90 percent of a company’s carbon footprint — the amount of carbon dioxide emitted through fossil fuel combustion — comes directly from their natural gas and electricity use. It’s been a major concern, and has raised the emission levels in the country’s most populous cities. As a result, more businesses nationwide are taking steps to dial down their fossil fuels.
This is especially true in Texas, where companies are beginning to embrace green energy as a major business directive. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has cited Texas’s three largest cities — Houston, Dallas and San Antonio — as cities with an above-average amount of pollutants in their air quality.
But, times are changing, and Texas scored a major win in the push toward a cleaner environment in February. A group led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and Texas Pacific Group bought out TXU, the state’s largest utility, for $45 billion. The group, which included Goldman Sachs and three other Wall Street firms, immediately pulled the plug on TXU’s plans to build 11 coal plants. The TXU buyout is a big step for the state of Texas and its new push for environmental awareness: it raises clean energy awareness, changes the state’s perception as a major polluter and helps prepare the state for future clean-energy initiatives.
Going Green To Save Green
While going green can sometimes cost more, it’s offset by what companies can save in the long run. And, if a business normally buys its energy from the utility, the cost of renewable energy may be less expensive.
|