Future is now for green energy switch

Future is now for green energy switch

Even among those who believe strongly in sustainability, renewable energy as a major percentage of production may seem like a futuristic, far-off goal, one to strive for but which may only be seen by the next generation. Those in the industry, though, know that the future is rapidly arriving, and some recent news shows that, when it comes to renewable energy, the future is now.

Austin boosting renewable energy use
Austin, Texas, home to popular music festivals and University of Texas, has long been famous for its atmosphere, and has taken strong stands on many forward-looking issues. When it comes to renewable energy, it's been at the vanguard of adopters. Only a few years ago, Austin Energy, the city-owned utility company upped its focus on renewable energy, hoping to boost its efforts ingreen energy switch and hit a benchmark of 35 percent of its energy being renewable by the year 2020. An ambitious and noble goal, certainly, but 2020 was still years away. The company, though, may not even need that long.

According to a recent article in the Austin American-Statesman, Austin Energy is about to sign a pair of contracts that would put the company past its 35 percent goal by 2016. 570 megawatts of wind generated capacity, stemming from the Texas Gulf Coast, would be added in contracts worth $1.4 billion and lasting 25 years. The new wattage would sufficiently increase the company's renewable work and break it into a new frontier. With the 35 percent barrier behind it, it may have bold new ambitions to take on next.

Other great news for renewable energy
Around the country, other good news about renewable energy continues to come out. Nebraska recently signed into a law a bill aimed at pushing renewable energy in the state higher through tax incentives, such as exempting certain renewable energy costs from the 5.5 percent sales tax the state has in place. The law also requires renewable energy companies to put at least $20 million into certain properties in the state in order to receive the tax benefits. According to an article from ReedSmith, Nebraska has the fourth-highest wind-energy potential in the nation, but has hardly capitalized on this and remains 26th in the nation in wind-energy production. Hopefully, the bill will take wind energy production in Nebraska to the next level, and help bring America further into a future of green power.

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Green Rankings winners do more than switch electricity

Green Rankings winners do more than switch electricity

For the last few years, Newsweek has been publishing its list of the most environmentally friendly organizations, those that go the extra mile to use green energy and switch operations to more eco-conservative measures, creating a competitive landscape for businesses. In order to rank up on the list, some businesses are making a final push to increase their standings.
Daily Finance wrote that Sprint is working on building more green initiatives and making these programs public, earning more attention for its clean programs. The company is making 100 percent recycled devices available for purchase, as well as pushing its customers to bring unused electronics back to stores for that purpose. The company has previously earned accolades from the EPA for this drive, as the company is making a dent in the over 2 million tons of electronics sent to landfills every year.
This shows how tough it is to move up in the Green Rankings list, as The Daily Beast wrote. Simply adding more green energy to power portfolios is not enough - businesses must challenge themselves to find ways of cutting costs, reducing waste and making cleaner operations. In this case, the winning company not only gains more public attention and prestige, but the environment wins as well.

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