This Major Power Company Just Committed To Cut Its Emissions In Half

[RiverLover]

This Major Power Company Just Committed To Cut Its Emissions In Half
11/21/14

On Thursday, one of the country’s leading energy companies announced new goals aimed at subtantially cutting carbon emissions over the next several decades. NRG Energy, a massive enterprise with over 100 power plants situated primarily across the Northeast, set a target of cutting its carbon emissions 50 percent by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050. Billed as part of establishing a “clear course towards a clean energy future” the announcement accompanied the groundbreaking ceremony for the company’s new, environmentally-friendly Princeton, New Jersey headquarters.

“The goals you never set, you are certain to never meet,” said David Crane, NRG’s CEO, during the groundbreaking. Crane said he believes it’s NRG’s destiny to be a leader in creating a more sustainable and prosperous future while “winning the fight against climate change.”

NRG, the second-largest conventional power generation company in the country, has already reduced CO2 emissions by 40 percent since 2005, according to the company. They estimate that these new targets will avoid approximately three billion tons of CO2 emissions by 2050 — the equivalent of offsetting all of New York City’s CO2 emissions, at 2005 levels, for 65 years.

While NRG is pushing renewables hard, to accomplish these objectives the company is also banking on cost-effective carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) for its emissions-intensive coal-fired power plants as well as new natural gas generation coming online. According to a ThinkProgress review of NRG’s assets, the company has 21 coal-fired power plants in the U.S. and around 100 more split between oil and gas. The company also has about 30 wind-power plants and five solar plants totaling close to 2,300 megawatts.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/11/21/3594916/nrg-groundbreaking-emissions-cuts-power-plants/

[Fred Sanders]

1. A good start, but cutting in half over decades...?? While building more capacity to burn the coal.

Not convinced this is a change of heart or being forced by the EPA anyway.

[RiverLover]

2. I agree. Though he does say they're not going to wait for the official rulings on emissions...

Its just very hard to trust these guys.

[NYC_SKP]

3. I love NRG, but people need to know that it is not a utility company.

NRG is a seller of power to utility companies.

To change their renewables portfolio is a considerably easier task than it is for a utility company, generally.

That said, I love them and they are the biggest producer of solar and wind energy and California, and I've toured many of their generation facilities.

[RiverLover]

4. I didn't realize that, thanks for clarifying

and for the interesting post!!