Over the last year, renewable energy usage has become a pressing issue for corporations nationwide. On June 1, 2017 the Trump Administration announced that the U.S. would be backing out of the Paris climate agreement. This agreement was intended to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change and increase their ability to deal with the effects of climate change.

In spite of the decision by the Trump Administration, many U.S. corporations have continued to follow the Paris Agreement by investing billions of dollars in wind and solar sources to power the operations of their companies. Malcolm Wolf, the senior vice president for policy at Advanced Energy Economy, explained: “Corporations have not slowed down their appetite for renewables under Trump – if anything, it has continued to grow.”

The Growth of Corporate Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is growing rapidly and becoming more cost effective for corporations due to the decrease in wind and solar prices. According to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the cost of renewable energy is falling so fast that the prices of fossil fuels and renewable energy will be similar by 2020, and it should be cheaper than fossil fuels within the next couple of years.

Christiana Figueres, the former UN climate chief who delivered the Paris agreement, said: “The economic case for renewables as the backbone of our global energy system is increasingly clear and proven. Offering ever greater bang-for-buck, renewables are quite simply the cheapest way to generate energy in an ever-growing number of countries.” It makes financial sense for corporations to switch over to renewable energy.

Google and Apple are two of the top companies leading the way in renewable energy. In recent months, both companies have announced that they have purchased an amount of renewable electricity that could power all of their data centers and facilities around the globe. Although Google and Apple are not 100% powered by renewable energy, the advancements that they have made in recent years are definitely a huge step forward.

Future of Corporate Renewable Energy

Although the U.S. is no longer involved in the Paris Agreement, U.S. corporations are striving to increase renewable energy, and they play an extremely important role in the future of renewable energy.

These companies are transforming America’s grid by introducing a new era of low-carbon power. Intersect Energy is committed to providing analysis, financing and structuring of alternative energy solutions to reduce the environmental impact and maximize savings for companies. In turn, this helps move the country towards an alternative energy future. Stay up-to-date with all the happenings at Intersect Energy by following us on LinkedIn.