In my last post, I talked about how a Georgia judge revoked the air pollution permit or a proposed coal-fired power plant because it failed to include standards for carbon emissions. In that post, I spoke to the need for some sort of standard so that power companies know what to expect when applying for permits.
Well, one company, Chicago-based Exelon, isn’t waiting for a national standard to start cutting carbon emissions, as detailed in this New York Times article.
The most interesting thing about Exelon’s plan to make major cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 is its multi-faceted approach. First, the company is planning to use new technology to make its plants more efficient. It also plans to increase its use of nuclear power, encourage conservation among its customers, and expand its focus to include a greater (although still fairly limited) amount of wind and solar power.
Exelon’s actions tell me two things: first, companies clearly believe that cutting greenhouse gas emissions are a good long-term business decision, and something that can ultimately make them money. Second, there is no single solution to our current energy problems. If we are to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and clean up the environment, we need to explore a variety of options. It looks like Exelon is off to a good start.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 at 4:41 pm and is filed under Alternative Energy Technology, Cap and Trade, Eco-Business Strategies, Oil and Gas . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
