Posted on 11/09/2020 9:20:38 AM PST by buckalfa
First Energy, one of the region’s most prominent energy suppliers, today announced a pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The company also set an interim goal of 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gases within the company’s direct operational control by 2030, based on 2019 levels.
First Energy is a major source for power customers in West Virginia through Monongahela Power Company, commonly called Mon Power, and Potomac Edison Company. There are 986,800 people in First Energy’s service territory in West Virginia.
Electric power is provided to FirstEnergy’s West Virginia service area by:
Potomac Edison Company Monongahela Power Company (Mon Power) “We believe climate change is among the most important issues of our time,” said President and Acting Chief Executive Officer Steven E. Strah in a statement put out by First Energy.
“We will help address this challenge by building a more climate-resilient energy system and supporting the transition to a carbon-neutral economy. Our ambitious new carbon goal and comprehensive climate strategy are fully aligned with our regulated business strategy and support our commitments to our customers, communities and investors, as well as environmental stewardship.”
The company additionally stated that “we have a responsibility to our stakeholders to proactively mitigate the company’s climate change risks and capitalize on emerging opportunities in a carbon-neutral economy – all while meeting the changing needs of our diverse customer base.”
The company outlined several steps to achieve its goals:
Hardening its transmission and distribution systems to reduce the physical risks of climate change Replacing conventional utility trucks with electric and hybrid vehicles and responsibly replacing other aging equipment that emits greenhouse gasses Reducing emissions at its small regulated generation fleet, while preparing for the transition away from coal-fired power in West Virginia by 2050 Supporting renewable and distributed energy resources, including seeking approval in 2021 to construct a solar generation source of at least 50 megawatts in West Virginia Using advanced technology to enable customers to manage their energy use Integrating carbon pricing into financial forecasting Empowering employees to identify opportunities that drive environmental responsibility In 2015, FirstEnergy announced plans to achieve a 90 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by 2045.
So far, the company has reduced CO2 emissions by about 80 percent through new technologies and retiring or transferring generation assets. The new goals represent a significant expansion of the original target and reflect FirstEnergy’s transformation to a fully regulated utility.
First Energy’s 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.
The company’s transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,500 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.
American Electric Power, another company with a big presence in West Virginia, has stated plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 70 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050, add more than 8,000 megawatts of regulated wind and solar through 2030 and invest $2.3 billion in renewables through 2024.
Hold on to your wallets
[[[Replacing conventional utility trucks with electric ]]]
LOL. They’d be better off converting them to LP.
Mmmm...get in line for the crap smorgasbord...better you better have your mask on!
Mmmm...get in line for the crap smorgasbord...BUT you better have your mask on!
“LOL. They’d be better off converting them to LP.”
True I’m sure but I know their “plan” is political crap because they don’t mention nuclear.
They’re just trying to be friendly with a possible Biden administration.
Personally speaking, I don’t consider carbon (i.e. carbon dioxide) emissions to be a problem.
If they want to waste their time with that, whatever.
Not if they’re screwing taxpayers in order to do it.
NYS is big on ESCOs, but someone is subsidizing those marginally lower rates.
It’s taxpayers.
Bet its the case here, too. Taxpayers will pay the freight for this virtue signaling.
These companies will be totally subsidized...and they’ll still blow it in the end.
First Energy got rid of their nuclear facilities a year ago or so.
“First Energy got rid of their nuclear facilities a year ago or so.”
Interesting. Right now natural gas is the cheapest way of building a power plant or converting a coal one to natural gas, and running it.
That’s fine with me because I don’t care about carbon dioxide emissions.
But compared with solar and wind, nuclear, especially with the newer plant designs, is far superior.
I think.
When food is no longer growing , perhaps then these idiots will understand what CARBON DIOXIDE does best.
Plants already adapted to much lower CO2 levels during the last interglacial period. What we eat are mostly C4 grasses( rice,corn,wheat,oats,sorghum) that evolved specifically due to the lower CO2 levels at one point as low as 220ppm. Our C4 grasses can live down to 150ppm we are at 400 ppm and rising even if human went extinct tomorrow and all fuel burning stopped the oceans are not at equilibrium yet so the levels will keep rising for a few decades more and peak out near 500ppm not anywhere near low enough for CO2 starvation. Yes I am a geochemist and a professional geologist having done much work in CO2 injection into deep strata. The company that contracted my services was looking at air harvesting CO2 rather than trucking it in but at 400ppm it’s not economic to do so when one can get liquids CO2 by the tanker full for $15 a ton from ethanol plants or landfill gas or sewage sludge methane clean up gas. Fun fact injecting CO2 to drive additional oil out of “depleted” wells puts more CO2 into the ground than released by burning the oil that you get back it’s a positive trade for cheap liquid CO2 to get back expensive liquid oil. That’s why they were employing a geochemist in the first place.
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