Renewable Utilities

With coal, natural gas and other forms of traditional energy being phased out and costing more than renewables, utilities have shifted their focus to a more sustainable, “greener” grid. Energy Acuity, the leading provider of power generation and power delivery market intelligence, has compiled a list of the Top 10 Renewable Utilities by analyzing thousands of utility renewable pipeline, policy, and strategic initiatives. These utilities are leading the way to a more sustainable energy future and for that, we’re thankful!

Top 10 Renewable Utilities (Solar & Wind)

 

1.) Southern California Edison (SCE)
Renewable Projects: 569
Renewable Operating Capacity (MW): 11,827.61
Total Customers: ≈ 14,000,000

Southern California Edison (SCE), an Edison International company, is one of the nation’s largest investor-owned utilities, serving nearly 14 million people in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California. Based in Rosemead, California, the utility has been providing electric service in the region for more than 120 years.

Renewable Notables:

• Every year since 2007, SCE has ranked in the top 10 utilities in delivering solar to its customers.
• SCE connects an average of 3,600 solar customers to the electric grid monthly, equal to a solar customer coming online every 12 minutes.
• SCE has connected more than 252,000 residential and commercial customers to the grid.
• Last year, SCE connected 547 megawatts of solar energy to the grid, equivalent to removing 231,839 cars from the road for a year or 16,205 garbage trucks worth of waste being recycled instead of going into a landfill.

 

2.) Duke Energy
Renewable Projects: 1,309
Renewable Operating Capacity (MW): 11,175.82
Total Customers: ≈ 7,400,000

Founded in 1904, Duke Energy Corporation supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 7.4 million customers in the Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of about 24 million people. The company also distributes natural gas to more than 1.5 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Its commercial business operates a growing renewable energy portfolio and transmission infrastructure across the United States. The company is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Renewable Notables:

• Duke Energy Renewables owns and operates more than 614 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar power projects at more than 52 solar farms across the country.
• Duke Energy Renewables’ subsidiary, REC Solar, is one of the leading commercial solar companies in the country and has built more than 350 megawatts of solar projects nationwide.
• Since 2007, Duke Energy has invested more than $5 billion to provide innovative, affordable and sustainable clean energy solutions.
• Duke Energy Renewables is a leader in the wind energy industry, currently generating around 2,300 megawatts (MW) of wind electricity at 21 wind farms across the United States.

 

3.) Xcel Energy
Renewable Projects: 1,448
Renewable Operating Capacity (MW): 10,430.78
Total Customers: ≈ 3,400,000

Excel Energy invests in renewable energy sources to ensure they can deliver clean energy in the most economical way. Clean energy is good for the environment, but more importantly, it helps keep costs low. Their industry-leading renewable energy programs give their customers cleaner energy options and more control over their energy use.

Renewable Notables:

• Xcel plans to increase its wind portfolio by 55% by the end of 2021. 12 new wind farms in 7 states will add nearly 3,700 MW of wind capacity.
• More than 20% of Xcel’s energy supply (company-wide) comes from wind energy.
• Xcel boasts more than 700 megawatts of large, universal solar capacity, which is enough to power more than 177,000 average-size homes for a year.
• Xcel has increase solar generation by more than 4x since 2011.

 

4.) Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
Renewable Projects: 368
Renewable Operating Capacity (MW): 8,797.43
Total Customers: ≈ 16,000,000

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 24,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California.

Renewable Notables:

• Approximately 80% of the electricity PG&E delivers is a combination of renewable and greenhouse gas-free resources.
• In 2016, PG&E delivered 32.8% of their energy from renewable resources and are ahead of schedule in meeting the California Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) of 33% by 2020.
• PG&E leads the nation with more than 300,000 private rooftop solar customers connected to the energy grid.
• PG&E customers have the option to purchase up to 100% of their electricity from solar-generated within California, without needing to install private rooftop solar panels.
• PG&E is ahead of schedule for meeting the 50% RPS by 2030 mandate under Senate Bill 350.

 

5.) PacifiCorp
Renewable Projects: 266
Renewable Operating Capacity (MW): 2,631.68
Total Customers: ≈ 1,900,000

PacifiCorp is one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, serving 1.9 million customers in the West. PacifiCorp operates as Pacific Power in Oregon, Washington, and California, and as Rocky Mountain Power in Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho. With a generating capability of more than 11,136 megawatts from thermal, hydro, and renewable wind, solar and geothermal power, the company works to meet growing energy demand while protecting and enhancing the environment.

Renewable Notables:

• PacifiCorp Energy Vision 2020 initiative, includes expanding the amount of wind power serving customers by 2020 to add 1,150 megawatts of new wind resources while also upgrading or “repowering” existing wind resources.
• The new wind projects are expected to power the annual energy needs of more than 400,000 typical homes, create hundreds of construction jobs and add millions in tax revenue to rural economies.

 

6.) MidAmerican Energy
Renewable Projects: 106
Renewable Operating Capacity (MW): 8070.81
Total Customers: ≈ 1,500,000

MidAmerican Energy Company is the largest utility in Iowa and is strategically located in the middle of several major markets in the Midwest. Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, MidAmerican Energy serves 770,000 electric customers and 751,000 natural gas customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The largest communities served by MidAmerican are Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, Waterloo, Iowa City, and Council Bluffs, Iowa; the Quad Cities area of Iowa and Illinois; and Sioux Falls, S.D.

Renewable Notables:

• In 2018, MidAmerican Energy passed the halfway mark, delivering 51.4% of our Iowa customers’ annual energy needs with renewable energy.
• MidAmerican Energy is on track to deliver 100% renewable energy to Iowa customers by 2021, based on current annual electric usage.
• Through 2018, MidAmerican Energy had invested approximately $9.9 billion in wind projects, creating construction and permanent jobs across the state.
• In 2018, MidAmerican Energy paid approximately $21.1 million in landowner easement/lease payments for its wind projects.

 

7.) Consumers Energy
Renewable Projects: 528
Renewable Operating Capacity (MW): 805.45
Total Customers: ≈ 6,700,000

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, an international corporation that is a leader in energy infrastructure businesses.

Renewable Notables:

• More than 10% of Consumers Energy’s electric supply is renewable.
• Consumers Energy makes significant investments in wind parks and solar farms and has 43 power purchase agreements for renewable energy.
• Consumer Energy plans to end coal use and reduce carbon emissions by 90% by 2040.
• A proposed 550 megawatts of additional wind generation and 6,000 megawatts of solar energy will help Consumers Energy meet 90% of customers’ needs with clean energy resources.

 

8.) San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)
Renewable Projects: 107
Renewable Operating Capacity (MW): 4,576.01
Total Customers: ≈ 3,400,000

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and 830,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The utility’s area spans approximately 4,100 square miles and employs over 3,000 people throughout its service area.

Renewable Notables:

• SDG&E delivered about 45% renewable resources to their customers in 2018, far exceeding California’s 2020 goal.
• SDG&E customers can sign up to have anywhere from 50% to 100% of their electricity come from renewable sources.

 

9.) Northwestern Energy
Renewable Projects: 144
Renewable Operating Capacity (MW): 538.27
Total Customers: ≈ 720,000

Northwestern Energy provides electricity and/or natural gas to approximately 726,400 customers in Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Northwestern has generated and distributed electricity in South Dakota and distributed natural gas in South Dakota and Nebraska since 1923 and have generated and distributed electricity and distributed natural gas in Montana since 2002.

Renewable Notables:

• Since 2016, and based on megawatt hours generated, approximately 54% of Northwestern Energy’s total company-owned generating assets and contracted electric supply is carbon-free.
• Funding from NorthWestern Energy and their many partners resulted in 13 different habitat improvement projects completed in the Madison and Missouri river drainages.
• Since late 2016, Northwestern Energy has signed 9 long-term renewable energy supply contracts with third-party wind and solar developers, adding up to 278 MW of new clean energy.
• For more than 17 years, Northwestern Energy has helped to fund the installation of more than 1,176 solar photovoltaic and wind systems of various sizes in Montana.

 

10.) NV Energy (Sierra Pacific Power & Nevada Power)
Renewable Projects: 67
Renewable Operating Capacity (MW): 965.36
Total Customers: ≈ 1,400,000

NV Energy provides a wide range of energy services to 1.4 million customers throughout Nevada and more than 43 million tourists annually. NV Energy, Inc. is a holding company whose principal subsidiaries, Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, are doing business as NV Energy. The company is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Renewable Notables:

• NV Energy has one of the most diverse renewable energy portfolios in the nation, including 19 geothermal projects, 14 solar projects and about a dozen wind, biomass, hydro and waste heat renewable energy projects.
• NV Energy has provided more than $230 million in special incentives for rooftop solar installations and solar water heating.
• In total, more than 1,900 megawatts of renewable energy in Nevada have been built or secured exclusively for NV Energy customers.
• Coal was once the dominant fuel for power generation in Nevada, but today only represents 8% of NV Energy’s generating resources. By the end of 2019, coal will no longer be in use in southern Nevada and will represent less than 3% of NV Energy’s generating capacity throughout the state.
• More than $110 million in RenewableGenerations rebates have been shared with 300 schools throughout the state

 

 

Source: Energy Acuity Renewable Platform

Continue Reading:

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2019 Top 10 Renewable Energy Companies
2019 Top 40 Most Viewed Renewable Energy Companies

 

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