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State-owned <keyword id="20039950" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharat-Petroleum-Corporation" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharat Petroleum Corporation" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Bharat Petroleum Corporation">Bharat Petroleum Corporation</keyword> plans to invest Rs 1.7 lakh crore over the next five years to grow its core oil refining and fuel marketing business as well as in 'future big bets' of <keyword id="20115883" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="petrochemicals" source="keywords">petrochemicals</keyword> and <keyword id="19895435" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-energy" source="keywords">green energy</keyword>, its chairman G Krishnakumar has said. At present, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (<keyword id="19908646" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="BPCL" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BPCL" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="BPCL">BPCL</keyword>) owns about 14 per cent of India's oil <keyword id="20064251" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="refining-capacity" source="keywords">refining capacity</keyword> and about a quarter of the fuel retailing network. It plans to grow these businesses while foraying into newer areas. The firm is now implementing the first phase of a multi-decade aspirational journey in the form of '<keyword id="22826627" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="project-Aspire" source="keywords">Project Aspire</keyword>' - its five-year strategic framework that is based on two fundamental pillars - 'Nurturing the Core' and 'Investing in Future Big Bets', he said in the company's latest annual report. "Our mid-term strategy is on a continuum. While we remain committed to growing our core businesses, which include refining and marketing <keyword id="20037698" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="petroleum-products" source="keywords">petroleum products</keyword> and upstream, we are equally focused on our big bets comprising petrochemicals, gas, green energy, non-fuel retail, and digital. "Project Aspire, with a planned capex outlay of around Rs 1.70 lakh crore over five years, will enable us to create long-term value for our stakeholders while preserving our planet for future generations," he said. "A cornerstone of our long-term strategy, Project Aspire, with a Rs 1.70 trillion investment, marks the initial phase of our multi-decade odyssey to shape the energy of tomorrow. This, coupled with our robust balance sheet, fuels our ambition to lead the <keyword id="19951336" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="energy-transition" source="keywords">energy transition</keyword>." The company is targeting net zero carbon emissions from its operations by 2040. "BPCL has drawn a net-zero roadmap, which encompasses renewable power, green hydrogen, compressed biogas, carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), efficiency improvement and the offsets procurements. This would require a phased capital outlay of approximately Rs 1 lakh crore till 2040, and the company is geared for the same," he said. The firm's bet on continuing investing in core businesses is based on the premise that India's booming economy will drive a 4-5 per cent annual increase in energy demand and petroleum product consumption. Also, the demand for major petrochemical products is expected to rise by 7-8 per cent annually. "This presents a strategic opportunity to expand refining capacity alongside the development of integrated petrochemical complexes," he said. BPCL is implementing new petrochemical projects at two of its three oil refineries. A Rs 49,000 crore ethylene cracker project is being implemented at the Bina refinery in Madhya Pradesh, alongside raising oil refining capacity from the current 7.8 million tonnes to 11 million tonnes annually by 2029. A polypropylene project is being set up at Kochi refinery in Kerala by 2027. "To meet the anticipated demand beyond our planned expansions in Bina and Kochi, we are actively evaluating options for setting up additional integrated refining and petrochemical capacities within the next 5-7 years," Krishnakumar said without disclosing either the investments or the location of such a project. Andhra Pradesh is being speculated as the likely site after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP and regional party TDP stormed to power in the state in recently concluded assembly elections. TDP has been demanding the implementation of a refinery-cum-petrochemical complex that was promised as part of the package when the state was split more than a decade back. "Our investment in the petrochemical project is consistent with our aspiration of becoming a dominant player in India's petrochemical growth story," Krishnakumar said. On energy transition, he said BPCL is targeting to build 2 gigawatts (GW) of <keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">renewable energy</keyword> capacity by 2025 and 10 GW by 2035. "We are investing nearly Rs 1,000 crore to establish two 50 MW captive wind power plants in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, which will support our refineries in Mumbai and Bina." The firm is also investing around Rs 300 crore in 72 MWp of solar project in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. "Concomitantly, we are executing green hydrogen projects aligned with the National Green Hydrogen Mission. These projects include a 5 MW electrolyser plant at Bina refinery and a green hydrogen refuelling station with an indigenously developed electrolyser at Kochi," he noted. BPCL, he said, is committed to supporting the transition to electric mobility through a robust and accessible charging infrastructure. The company has installed over 3,000 charging stations, including fast chargers for cars and two-wheelers. 900 fast chargers are installed across 120 highway corridors, which helps address the range, discovery and time anxiety of electric vehicle (EV) owners. "Over the next five years, we aim to install 4-wheeler fast chargers at approximately 6,000 retail outlets across 400 highway corridors, prioritising high-traffic corridors like the Golden Quadrilateral and N-S/E-W highways," he said. On biofuels, he said BPCL sells petrol with 20 per cent ethanol blend at 4,279 out of its over 22,000 petrol pumps. It is also building compressed biogas plants using municipal solid waste to make gas that can be used as CNG in automobiles. The firm is also exploring partnerships in the arena. "These combined efforts, along with the upcoming commissioning of a bio-ethanol refinery, positions BPCL as a key player in India's transition to a greener fuel mix, creating a robust ecosystem for the adoption of cleaner fuels across the country," he added. BPCL is establishing a corporate venture capital fund to invest directly in promising startups. "In order to thrive in this complex and challenging business landscape, we will leverage our agility and focus on operational excellence to ensure continued success. Safety and reliability will remain our top priorities, guiding all our actions. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance," he added. He said the energy sector of India stands at an inflection point. "The nation has an ambitious vision of becoming a USD 30 trillion developed economy by 2047. 'Viksit Bharat @2047' will necessitate an almost fourfold increase in primary energy demand." India's exponential growth trajectory will propel it to a pivotal role in the global energy market, accounting for roughly 12 per cent of world energy consumption by 2047. "The key strategic objectives for India in the energy sector will entail significant expansion in refining capacities, raising the share of gas in the energy basket from about 6 per cent to 15 per cent, establishing leadership in petrochemical exports, and sharply reducing energy imports from current levels of 47 per cent to below 25 per cent by 2030 and to zero by 2047," he said. India is targeting 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity, sourcing half of its energy needs from renewables, reducing carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes and lowering carbon intensity by 45 per cent by 2030 with the ultimate goal of net-zero emissions by 2070. "Building on its strong Indian energy presence, BPCL aspires to meet 7-10 per cent of the nation's primary energy demand by 2047," he said.

BPCL planning Rs 1.7 lakh crore spend to expand core business, new energy foray over next five years

<keyword id="46212" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="suzlon-energy" source="Orion">Suzlon Energy</keyword> registered a 96% decline in consolidated net profit at ₹101 crore in the April-June quarter. The company had registered a consolidated net profit of ₹2,433 crore in the year-ago quarter, an investors' presentation showed. The company's net revenue in the first quarter of this fiscal also came down to ₹ 1,348 crore from ₹ 1,378 crore in the year-ago period. <keyword id="307072" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="girish-tanti" source="Orion">Girish Tanti</keyword>, vice-chairman, Suzlon Group, said in a statement, "With the country poised to lead decarbonisation of its economy, we are seeing renewed enthusiasm from India Inc. to drive this green energy transition." J P Chalasani, chief executive officer, Suzlon Group, said in the statement, "At Suzlon, we continue to show stable and steady growth in line with our business plan. With the fruition of our initiatives to strengthen the balance sheet and reduce debt, our focus is now on ramping up our operations to service our cumulative orders, which stand at a healthy 1,582 MW as on date." Himanshu Mody, chief financial officer, Suzlon Group, said in the statement, "Q1 of FY24 takes forward our consistent efforts to consolidate and stabilise our performance over the last few quarters. Q1 FY24 shows YoY (year-on-year) growth and an improvement in overall profitability with a steady performance on all our key parameters." After a sustained effort to reduce debt in 2022-23, which has resulted in a healthier and sustainable balance sheet for the company, our focus in FY24 remains on funding our operations and fulfilling our commitments to customers and other stakeholders, he said. "We continue to maintain strict control on costs and are in the process of further optimising our organisational structure to drive excellence and continual improvement on the strong foundation set with over the last three years," he added.

Suzlon Energy Q1 consolidated net profit slumps 96% to ₹101 crore

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Renewables can offer cheaper energy than fossil fuels, but the grid isn't designed to handle them.</li><li>We explore the places in the US making progress on this front. </li></ul>Think about the last time your <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackouts-power-outages-more-common-climate-change-electric-grid-infrastructure-2023-3">power went out</a>.Maybe a car hit an electricity-distribution pole or a falling branch took down a power line <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-from-texas-power-outage-ercot-energy-grid-winter-storm-2023-12">during a storm</a>. It probably took at least a few minutes, maybe hours, before your power turned back on.Most likely, that's because workers at your local utility first had to assess how to restore your power. Then dispatchers had to drive to the nearby switches that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-winter-storm-power-cuts-white-house-emergency-declaration-2021-2">control the flow of energy</a> and manually flip them until everyone's lights were back on.Not in Chattanooga, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-to-tennessee-pros-cons-nashville-memphis-chattanooga-2023-2">Tennessee</a>. Instead, software automatically sends commands to smart switches throughout the system, rerouting the flow of electricity to restore power in seconds.The electric utility in Chattanooga, EPB, has invested $280 million in creating one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/power-smart-grid-electric-investment-save-money-prevent-blackouts-2024-4">smartest power grids</a> in the country. It has this self-healing system and manages energy more efficiently than traditional grids, reduces carbon emissions, and saves customers money on their electricity bills."They are an example of people who are looking forward to say: We see technology coming," Kevin Schneider, the chief engineer studying power systems at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, told Business Insider. "It is a challenge. It will be expensive, but we view it as less expensive and less challenging than doing nothing for the next 10 years and then trying to catch up."Nationwide, our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/power-grid-strain-home-vehicle-electrification-ai-startups-2024-3">power systems are in trouble</a>. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-laws-us-infrastructure-invest-funding-2024-3">infrastructure is aging and outdated</a>, costing consumers billions a year in higher energy bills. Moreover, the aging grid is not ready for the barrage of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-migration-where-moved-escape-natural-disasters-extreme-weather">increasingly severe weather</a> that the climate crisis is bringing, nor the incoming surge of renewable energy and battery storage as the US moves toward the Biden-Harris administration's goal to achieve a carbon-pollution-free grid by 2035."Much of our grid infrastructure is 40, 50, 60-plus years old," Joe Rand, an energy policy researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, told BI. "And so it is in need of upgrading and maintenance."Smarter grids, like Chattanooga's, are just part of what it will take to modernize the American grid in the coming decades. They can deliver electricity in a "cleaner, more efficient, faster way," Joshua Rhodes, a research scientist studying smart grids at the University of Texas at Austin, told BI.However, getting that electricity in the first place from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-green-power-energy-america-economy-wind-oil-solar-prices-2023-11">wind, solar, and other renewables</a> is where the challenge begins.<h2 id="69b81dd9-e41b-4840-b480-f88f0bf2481c">A troubled transition to renewable energy</h2><div type="image" title="giant wind turbines standing in water" height="1414" width="2121" msid="110091236" hostid="261" sizebytes="187698"></div>Last year was record-breaking for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-renewable-energy-transition-solar-electric-vehicles-hit-records-2024-2">clean energy in the US</a>. Renewables, including wind, solar, and hydropower, represented about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wri.org/insights/clean-energy-progress-united-states">25% of the electricity generated</a> in the US in the first half of 2023.And this year is off to a solid start. South Fork Wind — New York's first offshore wind farm — began powering homes in March. And the Edwards &amp; Sanborn project, the US's largest solar energy and energy storage project in California, came online in January.Renewable energy is not only cleaner than fossil fuels but also often less expensive."In many parts of the United States, wind and or solar are basically the cheapest ways that we can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-panel-industry-electricity-generation-us-eia-tariff-prices-trade-2024-2">generate electricity</a>," Rand said.But we have a long way to go to reach 100% clean electricity by 2035. Renewables are intermittent energy sources. Unlike fossil fuels, the amount of energy they generate fluctuates. But <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hedge-funds-betting-electricity-power-grid-congestion-trading-2024-3">our grid system wasn't designed</a> to handle that variation.Plugging intermittent energy sources into this outdated grid network can cause problems, such as energy imbalances that exceed capacity and trigger outages, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.stevens.edu/profile/podonkor">Philip Odonkor</a>, an assistant professor in the School of Systems and Enterprises at Stevens Institute of Technology, told BI.So what's happened is a bottleneck: Renewable projects are generating energy but with limited ways of getting it to towns and cities. At the end of 2023, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/Queued%20Up%E2%80%A6But%20in%20Need%20of%20Transmission.pdf">930 gigawatts</a> of power — enough to power <a target="_blank" href="https://www.seia.org/solar-industry-research-data">roughly</a> 171 million homes — were waiting to connect to the grid.To achieve zero-emissions electricity by 2035, the US needs to revamp the grid with up to 10,100 miles of new transmission lines that can transport renewable energy from point A to point B. The Midwest grid operator, Midcontinent Independent System Operator, has approved the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nrdc.org/bio/toba-pearlman/midwest-grid-operators-inching-forward-miles-go-0">country's largest transmission investment</a> to date, totaling $10.3 billion, to improve how it delivers electricity to 45 million people across the Midwest.But in general, construction on new high-voltage transmission has slowed to a trickle over the past decade, Rand said. In 2013, the US <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ferc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/dec-energy-infrastructure_3.pdf">completed</a> over 3,000 miles of transmission projects. Last year, it <a target="_blank" href="https://cms.ferc.gov/media/energy-infrastructure-update-december-2023">completed</a> 251 miles.It's not economic or technology barriers holding these projects back, Rand said: "It's institutional, regulatory, and social issues."<h2 id="ed839077-604c-48e7-a55c-f3e216767d9a">Breaking down barriers</h2><div type="image" title="A man walks through a power station" height="1937" width="3000" msid="110091239" hostid="261" sizebytes="1045202"></div>When South Fork Wind began operations in March, it was a major milestone but also years behind schedule. Economic headwinds struck in 2020 with the Trump administration's moratorium on offshore wind, which stalled progress for two years."The clearest delay for South Fork was losing those years of progress," said <a target="_blank" href="https://wrisenergy.org/about-wrise/leadership/board/">Julia Bovey</a>, the director of external affairs for offshore wind at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eversource.com/content/residential">Eversource Energy</a>, which co-owns South Fork Wind with <a target="_blank" href="https://us.orsted.com/?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwir2xBhC_ARIsAMTXk84wQN2zsVWYlPKJurVNpM-v2sPcNdUtPeJL5HMpCMOYQ9fYAfdwwnwaAu_mEALw_wcB">Ørsted</a>.Other obstacles stand in the way of clean energy — the biggest being the lengthy permitting process and interconnection queue delays. The permitting process for renewable-energy projects involves massive amounts of paperwork and can take <a target="_blank" href="https://www.osc.ny.gov/press/releases/2024/04/dinapoli-renewable-energy-projects-taking-years-become-operational-nys#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20the%20permit%20application,permit%20process%20is%20not%20improved">three or more years to finish</a>.In the end, about <a target="_blank" href="https://emp.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/Queued%20Up%202024%20Edition_1.pdf">80%</a> don't make it to completion, and those that do can get stuck in the clogged interconnection queue for as long as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2024/03/01/the-energy-sector-and-ai-unplugging-the-interconnection-queue-backlog/?sh=4932ad4162f4">five more years</a>. By the end of 2023, almost <a target="_blank" href="https://emp.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/Queued%20Up%202024%20Edition_1.pdf">12,000 projects</a> were in the queue, waiting to be connected to the grid."It's a seriously complex process with so many stakeholders," Bovey said.South Fork Wind was the first utility-scale offshore-wind project in the US to make it through this process. In doing so, it revealed a lot of issues that could be fixed through standardization and better agency coordination, Bovey said. But it also proved that bringing offshore wind online was possible."Every hope is that this has paved the way for future projects to be cheaper, bigger, faster, and just as responsible — just as well sited," Bovey said.On the whole, Paul Denholm, a principal analyst and senior research fellow at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is more skeptical of the country's prospects. We'll be closer to a 50% renewable-power grid by 2035 with the way things are going, he told BI.Right now, we lack the federal policy necessary to solve regulatory and permitting delays, clear the interconnection queue, and drive rapid infrastructure upgrades and technology implementation, Denholm said.For example, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator's transmission investment, while noteworthy, took 11 years to get approval, and its next series of approvals have been delayed."So from that standpoint, it's pretty clear that we're not on a path to get to 100%," Denholm said.<h2 id="a55db279-156b-40fd-940e-ba037839bbdf">There's no going back</h2><div type="image" title="An electric vehicle charges in California" height="683" width="1024" msid="110091241" hostid="261" sizebytes="41490"></div>Regardless of how quickly the US gets there, we're headed for a clean-energy revolution. The federal government has invested nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.energy.gov/infrastructure/clean-energy-infrastructure-funding-projects-and-programs">$100 billion</a> in clean energy through its Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.Old infrastructure must be modernized across the country because the production and use of energy are going to get much more complicated.Nationwide, the grid draws power from about 12,000 power plants. Over the next 20 years or so, it will have to balloon to incorporate millions of small, distributed energy-generation resources, from hydropower dams to offshore wind farms to rooftop solar panels.Then there will be the batteries, which store wind and solar energy until a rainy day. Meanwhile, newly electrified cars and heating systems will increase energy demand.Eventually, home appliances may tap into data from the grid — how much people are drawing energy from it, how much carbon it's emitting, and how much electricity costs at any given hour — to help you make smart decisions about when to wash your dishes or heat your house."Historically it was meant to go one way," Schneider said of the grid. "Now we've got solar that pushes power back in. We've got EVs. We've got new loads like heat pumps. So the edge is getting so much more complicated with a lot more stakeholders in there."Smart grids are essential for integrating all that new stuff. The rollout of smart-grid technologies, renewable projects, and new transmission lines will happen piecemeal across the country, at different paces in different places, depending on policies, utility finances, and the economy — high up-front costs can be a major deterrent. However, the return on investment can be even greater.Take Chattanooga. EPB spent $280 million to refurbish its power system with smart technologies. In its first 10 years, the project generated $2.7 billion worth of economic value by creating jobs, attracting businesses, and reducing customers' electricity bills, an EPB-funded <a target="_blank" href="https://assets.epb.com/media/Lobo%20-%20Ten%20Years%20of%20Fiber%20Infrastructure%20in%20Hamilton%20County%20TN_Published.pdf">study</a> found.MISO foresees a similar return on its $10.3 billion investment. It estimates that investment will bring <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/sam-gomberg/midwest-transmission-system-investments-will-be-a-game-changer-for-a-clean-energy-future/">$37.3 billion of value</a> for customers by transporting cheaper, more reliable power. So the benefits can outweigh the cost."As we move forward, things are becoming more complex," Schneider said. "And we need to find ways to work together collaboratively. Because no one group or organization has all the answers, it's going to be a lot of different things coming together."

What it will take to modernize the American grid and usher in the clean-energy revolution

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The investing world is at the start of a "tectonic shift" into sustainable ventures, <keyword id="12307386" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="blackrock-ceo-larry-fink" source="Orion">BlackRock CEO Larry Fink</keyword> said in his 2022 letter. </li><li>The co-founder of the world's largest asset manager said sustainable investments have reached $4 trillion in the past two years. </li><li>Fink said most stakeholders now expect companies to engage in decarbonization efforts. </li></ul>The investing world is just at the beginning of a "tectonic shift" of capital into sustainable ventures, <keyword id="11965073" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="blackrock" source="Orion">BlackRock</keyword> CEO Larry Fink said in <a href="https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/investor-relations/larry-fink-ceo-letter">his 2022 letter to clients</a>, telling them every company and industry will be transformed by the transition to a net-zero world. The head of the world's largest asset manager said sustainable investments have reached $4 trillion <a href="https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/larry-fink-ceo-letter">in the past two years since he wrote</a> that investors were increasingly recognizing that climate risk is an investment risk and that actions and ambitions towards decarbonization also have increased. "I believe the decarbonizing of the global economy is going to create the greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime. It will also leave behind the companies that don't adapt, regardless of what industry they are in," with that view also applicable to cities and countries that don't prepare for the future, Fink said in his yearly letter released Tuesday. "The decarbonization of the economy will be accompanied by enormous job creation for those that engage in the necessary long-term planning." The remarks signal a more bullish shift in tone on <keyword id="12313306" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="green-investing" source="Orion">green investing</keyword>. A year ago, <a href="https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/investor-relations/2021-larry-fink-ceo-letter">his 2021 letter</a> said the "climate transition presents a historic investment opportunity."Fink, who co-founded BlackRock in 1988, noted his his latest missive that the auto industry has been racing to produce electric cars.Meanwhile, engineers and scientists are working on how to decarbonize cement, steel, and plastics as well as the transportation, agriculture, energy, and construction sectors. "The next 1,000 unicorns won't be search engines or social media companies, they'll be sustainable, scalable innovators – startups that help the world decarbonize and make the energy transition affordable for all consumers," he wrote. "We need to be honest about the fact that green products often come at a higher cost today. Bringing down this green premium will be essential for an orderly and just transition." "Bold incumbents" must also take action in decarbonization efforts as they have an advantage with capital and technical expertise, the 69-year-old CEO said. As there's an unprecedented amount of capital looking for new ideas, he said, incumbents need to be clear about how to succeed in a net-zero economy. He said most stakeholders ranging from shareholders, employees, communities, and regulators now expect companies to work on decarbonizing the global economy.On a broader level, Fink said stakeholder capitalism is not about politics."It is not a social or ideological agenda. It is not 'woke.' It is capitalism, driven by mutually beneficial relationships between you and the employees, customers, suppliers, and communities your company relies on to prosper. This is the power of capitalism."

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink calls decarbonizing economy the 'greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime'

Technology is helping enterprises meet their sustainability goals In March, in Antarctica, an ice shelf the size of New York City collapsed due to record high temperatures. It is just one of the symptoms of the climate crisis that affects all of us. Already, millions of people have had their homes or businesses damaged and some are losing their lives in fires, floods, droughts, and storms. Climate crisis is here, and we need to act with urgency because the future of climate change is in our hands. The global pandemic has been a wake-up call for enterprises to consider environmental sustainability as a business imperative. Business Insider India caught up with Dr. <keyword id="14327015" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tanya-morton" source="Orion">Tanya Morton</keyword>, the worldwide director of customer success engineering for <keyword id="1682531" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mathworks" source="Orion">MathWorks</keyword>, to understand how organizations are leveraging emerging technologies like artificial intelligence to achieve their environmental sustainability goals. Tanya has worked at the forefront of innovation, engineering, and science for over 26 years. She is passionate about sustainability and leads an initiative to support MathWorks customers in understanding and tackling climate change. Edited excerpts: The ongoing global climate crisis is a serious cause for concern for individuals and businesses alike. Quite reasonably, sustainability is a core priority for enterprises in post-pandemic recovery. What do you think is the impact of this crisis on companies’ sustainability goals today? The impact is significant. It is great to see how many companies are starting to take action to address the climate crisis. <keyword id="87266" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="stakeholder" source="Orion">Stakeholder</keyword> capitalism imagines corporations as being responsible not only to their shareholders but to their employees, suppliers, communities, and the environment. For example, over 5,000 businesses have signed up for the Race to Zero global campaign and have committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. It is part of a growing movement to re-examine how companies operate—and for whom. To ensure a sustainable future, all companies need to increase their actions to address climate change. That is why MathWorks is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2023. Tell us about how AI is helping organizations accelerate global sustainability efforts? AI and Cloud technologies accelerate climate research and help us fully understand the scale and extent of the climate crisis. An example I recently covered in my talk at MathWorks’ flagship event, MATLAB EXPO, was about drought. Drought is devastating to crop harvests and can make local communities vulnerable, both from a health perspective and economically. Researchers studied a river basin in Ethiopia and used AI to better predict when drought may occur. This allows communities to be better supported through difficult times. AI also plays a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For example, AI applied in food systems can help better monitor crop yields, reduce the need for chemicals and excess water through precision agriculture, and minimize food waste through forecasting demand and identifying spoiled produce. AI also supports the megatrend called the electrification of everything that is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The electrification of everything refers to the twin pair of generating electricity from renewable sources, then using electricity as the primary energy source. AI supports renewable energy generation, for example, via the design of more efficient and reliable offshore wind farms. It supports the efficient usage of electricity too, for example, machine learning is being used to match energy generation and demand in real-time, realizing more fully the potential of smart grids. MathWorks’ MATLAB and Simulink are used by millions of engineers and scientists to analyze data, develop algorithms, and create models. How do these products help companies meet their sustainability goals? Researchers and developers worldwide are analyzing trends and designing solutions in response to climate change with MATLAB and Simulink. You can view their work, including clean energy products, scientific papers, and financial models on MathWorks climate research and development webpage. With MathWorks tools you can computationally model energy generators and storage devices such as wind turbines, batteries, and solar panels. It can be dangerous and expensive to do research and testing with the real system - you don't want battery fires or snapping turbine blades. Modelling and simulation can help plug this gap. Can you give us some examples of that? An example of MathWorks helping bring green technologies to market is through our work with Ather, an electric two-wheeler company from Bangalore. When the company began, they did not have the time, money, or people to build prototypes for each vehicle. This problem was solved by using MATLAB and Simulink to scale up the speed of testing. Ather scooters come equipped with a touchscreen GPS, remote diagnostics based on data patterns of other users, and an intelligent battery that can autonomously change modes to ensure the highest efficiency. With MATLAB, Simulink, and Model-Based Design, the company identified and validated the best ideas through simulation, making it possible to deliver a more full-featured scooter in less time. Another startup, Boston Metal, introduced groundbreaking technology aimed at producing steel in a more sustainable and cheaper way. The patented technology, <keyword id="14327016" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="molten-oxide-electrolysis" source="Orion">Molten Oxide Electrolysis</keyword> (MOE), replaces traditional processes through the use of direct electric current to separate chemical compounds. Boston Metal’s method produces liquid iron with a byproduct of oxygen instead of carbon, a cleaner and simpler process. You spoke about electrification earlier. Could you give us insights into MathWorks’ electrification efforts for climate change issues across sectors such as automotive, energy, <keyword id="6354525" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="healthcare" source="Orion">healthcare</keyword>, etc.? There is a growing demand for engineers to meet the worldwide demand for electric vehicles (EVs). To address this, MathWorks along with Bosch and NIT Calicut jointly created and delivered a new final-year undergraduate course, Electric Vehicle System Engineering. This is a good example of collaboration between academia and industry to address the talent shortage. We work with various industry associations to deliver professional development programmes for working professionals to help build skills around electrification. Many incubators and accelerators across the world have been partnering with us through the MathWorks Accelerator Program. We have signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with governmental organizations like Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) to extend this to hundreds of accelerators across the country. We are seeing several start-ups, including those in areas like two-wheeler electric vehicles, healthcare, and sustainable engineering, accelerating their product development through the benefits offered through this programme. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/tech-architecture-is-becoming-business-architecture-enterprises-recognize-that/articleshow/92561395.cms">‘Tech architecture is becoming business architecture, enterprises recognize that’ </a><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/indian-credit-card-users-spend-40x-more-than-debit-card-users-online/articleshow/92543305.cms">Indian credit card users spend 40x more than debit card users online</a>

AI aids the megatrend of electrification of everything which can reduce GHGs

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Insider's Banker of the Week series appears in our weekday newsletter, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/10-things-on-wall-street">10 Things on Wall Street</a>.</li><li>This week we're highlighting Peggy Flannery, who has just been promoted to managing director with sustainable-infrastructure investor Generate Capital.</li></ul>Peggy Flannery's smile grows from end-to-end when discussing the potential of renewable energy.She believes President Biden's recent Inflation Reduction Act — which provides modified federal tax credits for renewable-power projects — could stoke more long-term thinking, and investment, into alternate-energy efforts.Flannery also has more cause to smile. She has just been promoted to managing director at Generate Capital, a sustainable infrastructure company she joined in 2017 to lead investments in solar power.She was the 18th employee to join Generate, leaving behind a career in sales and trading at Goldman Sachs. Today, the firm employs more than 300 people, Flannery told Insider. Generate has deployed more than $500 million in investments into renewable-energy initiatives, and it covers the gamut of project management, from construction and ownership of an asset to operation and maintenance.Unlike most investment firms, Generate is not a fund in the classic sense. It invests through its own balance sheet, and strikes unique partnerships with companies to facilitate the development of renewable-energy projects."The reason I joined was because I wanted to partner with the developers that are making the projects happen," Flannery said. "We're not just an investment firm, we're an operating company, too."For Flannery, one of the more memorable deals she helped concoct was a partnership with Starbucks. The coffee-shop chain invested almost $100 million through a tax-equity partnership with Generate for a portfolio of solar projects in New York.In May last year, Generate said it had <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210513005242/en/Generate-Announces-Unique-Partnership-With-Starbucks-to-Supply-Clean-Energy-to-Starbucks-Stores-and-Provide-Affordable-Green-Power-to-Surrounding-Communities-With-New-York-Community-Solar-Projects">put up the first six</a> of up to 23 solar projects in the state. Once all the projects are up and running, they will provide solar energy for Starbucks stores and up to 24,000 households and small businesses."This was exciting because it's a multi-year commitment and the partnership with Starbucks allowed us to go out and know what our financing plan was going to be," Flannery said.Another point of pride for Flannery came a month later when she helped <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/19/generate-capital-raises-2-billion-for-sustainable-infrastructure-investments.html">Generate raise $2 billion</a> for sustainable-infrastructure investments. The new capital injection followed a $1 billion fundraise in February 2020. Both capital raises, primarily from long-term investors like pension funds, have given the firm ample ammunition to push forward with a raft of project investments.<h2>An unforgiving, taxing exercise</h2>Despite success in fundraising, dealing with the long-term nature of renewable energy can be a taxing exercise.Proponents of renewable-energy solutions often have to persuade stakeholders of its benefits, and that can be met with a healthy dose of skepticism, be it around "woke capitalism" or climate-change denial.Flannery is also under no illusion over how challenging it can be to convince investors to invest in long-term, renewable-power projects. These are often multi-decade efforts that involve construction, operations, maintenance, and then eventually, maybe, a return."When there are short-term cliffs that can be challenging because development takes time," she said. "But having a long-term policy can deliver a financial benefit. Maybe I'm in a bubble, but the partners I work with have been doing this a long time, before ESG was a buzzword."ESG, or environmental, social, and governance, has become a contentious issue across Wall Street, Corporate America, and throughout the halls of Congress.Money managers like BlackRock champion ESG efforts, and it has recently felt <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sustainable-investing-esg-under-scrutiny-2022-7">the wrath of criticism</a> from Republican politicians over so-called 'woke' positions on environmentally-friendly power sources.But Flannery is unperturbed by the noise.She studied environmental science and mathematics at Columbia, and relishes the fact that topics like climate change and alternative energy are talked about more broadly today."I remember the first time hearing solar energy being discussed during the State of the Union. We all cheered as it was so exciting to hear it on that stage," Flannery said.The Banker of the Week series is featured in Insider's 10 Things on Wall Street — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/10-things-on-wall-street">sign up here to get the newsletter each weekday morning.</a>

Ex-Goldman Sachs banker Peggy Flannery ditched Wall Street for sustainable investing. Since making the shift, she's corralled billion-dollar investments into renewable-energy projects at Generate Capital.

New Delhi, Dec 20 () Infrastructure sector on Friday urged the government to bring captive renewable policy and exempt from cross subsidy and transmission charges to make renewable energy more viable for those willing to set up clean energy plants beyond factory boundaries.
The infrastructure companies raised these issues during a pre-budget consultation with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and top officials from finance, new &amp; renewable, road transport and environment ministries.
They also asked to make finance available for real estate and affordable housing to boost consumption of cement and other inputs like steel.
Besides, they were of the view that government should release stuck up funds meant for infrastructure sectors as soon as possible for bringing in buoyancy in the economy.
 "We asked government to see, how can finance be made available for real estate and affordable housing. We also asked to release funds withheld at different levels in the government.
"Cement and other Core infrastructure sector can do a lot of work toward renewable energy. But the deterrents are cross subsidy and transmission charges. These two charges made renewable energy even more expensive than thermal power," Dalmia Bharat Cement MD &amp; CEO Mahendra Singhi said after the meeting.
The infrastructure players have asked the government to bring captive renewable energy policy and give exemption from cross subsidy and transmission charges for clean energy plants beyond factory boundaries, he added.
Infrastructure sector players, particularly cement, claimed that they can also set up 12GW to 15GW of renewable energy projects and there is positive mood on this in the country.
The cross subsidy charges ranging from Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 per unit and transmission charges are to the tune of 50 paisa per unit. These add Rs 2.5 per unit to the cost of clean energy, which comes around Rs 3.5 per unit. That make renewable energy cost Rs 6 per unit, which is even higher than thermal power cost in most of the cases.
On the tax issues, he said that there was no discussion in the meeting held on Friday.
Cement sector is paying GST (Good &amp; Service Tax) at the rate of 28 per cent and contributing around Rs 40,000 crore annually to the exchequer.
They also informed the minister that how can infrastructure sectors can play a role in dealing with plastic and municipal waste or bio mass.
"Government is positive about it. Lets see what best comes out (budget)," he added.
 The main areas of discussion during the meeting included issues relating to challenges in the infrastructure sector vis-a-vis framing of trade rules and policies in global context, quality of resilience of infrastructure sector and related finance, railway infrastructure, enhanced focus on adapting renewable energy for economy and environment, and climate resilient infrastructure development among others, the finance ministry said in a statement.
The stakeholders of infrastructure sector and experts of energy sector and climate change gave a wide range of suggestions in the meeting including availability of finance for real estate, infrastructure and affordable housing; renewable energy sector to have larger capacity creation, further fine-tuning in IT Act and lower duties and softer lending rates.
They also suggested on automotive industry's role in fighting climate change through support for electric mobility, scrapping policy for old polluting vehicles and focus on mass transport powered by renewable energy; attention on taxonomy on green economic activities/climate finance; climate compliant investment and more funds for combating air pollution and increasing efficiency of resources.
They also called for promoting energy efficiency in SME sector via government support to cluster based intermediaries and faster phasing out of depreciated coal fired power plants.
The suggestions also include push to bio-fertiliser; viability gap funding for batteries to encourage renewable energy power storage, expansion of existing Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM), promotion of energy efficient appliances including LPG Cooking stoves and bringing technology for improving Railway infrastructure. KKS BAL

Infra players pitch for captive renewable energy policy, exemption from cross subsidy charges

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/financing-a-sustainable-future-2022"></a><div type="image" title="headshot of Simon Fischweicher" height="682" width="910" msid="90942170" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>CDP is a nonprofit that helps companies and investors manage and track their environmental impact.</li><li>It uses a scale of A to F to grade companies like <keyword id="12317779" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="stanley" source="Orion">Stanley</keyword> Black &amp; Decker on management and progress.</li><li>Disclosing scores give investors and stakeholders a glimpse into a company's actual climate impact.</li></ul>For nearly a decade, <a href="https://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com/">Stanley Black &amp; Decker,</a> the world's largest tools and storage company, has been reporting on its <keyword id="11896309" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sustainability" source="Orion">sustainability</keyword> goals <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en">with CDP</a>, a nonprofit founded in 2000 that helps companies track their environmental impact.In its 2018 corporate responsibility announcement, the manufacturer<a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/articles/companies/stanley-black-decker-defining-ambition"> declared </a>it would reach "<a href="https://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com/who-we-are/2020-esg-report/planet/becoming-carbon-positive/">carbon positivity</a>" — where its carbon capture exceeds <keyword id="11949068" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="carbon-emissions" source="Orion">carbon emissions</keyword> — by 2030, along with improving the sustainability of products and the lives of employees. That same year, the company made the<a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/companies/companies-scores"> CDP "A List</a>," which recognizes organizations for disclosure and management of environmental risks, including climate change, water security, and deforestation. It's remained on the list ever since. In 2020, Stanley Black &amp; Decker <a href="https://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com/sites/stanleyblackanddecker.com/files/stanleyblackdecker-2020-esg-highlights.pdf">reported</a> a 10% boost in renewable <keyword id="11917806" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="energy" source="Orion">energy</keyword> consumption and 20% reductions in energy use, carbon emissions, water use, and waste generated by its facilities.<div type="image" title="headshot of Deb Geyer" height="412" width="550" msid="90942172" hostid="261"></div>"We believe that if we help people and the planet flourish, so will our business, so we've always set goals to help track our progress on sustainability," Deb Geyer, the corporate responsibility officer at Stanley Black &amp; Decker, told Insider. CDP is a "north star" for environmental, social, and governance efforts, or ESG, she added, since it brings all the right stakeholders together to ask questions. About 80% of the <keyword id="11898248" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sp-500" source="Orion">S&amp;P 500</keyword> companies disclose through CDP, said <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/info/staff/simon-fischweicher">Simon Fischweicher</a>, the head of corporations and supply chains for CDP North America. In 2021, CDP<a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/companies/companies-scores"> collected information from more than 13,000 companies</a>, a 35% increase from 2020 and a 141% increase from 2015 when the<a href="https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement"> Paris Agreement</a> was signed.Disclosure is a binding agent in the ESG ecosystem. A 2019 <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Business%20Functions/Strategy%20and%20Corporate%20Finance/Our%20Insights/Five%20ways%20that%20ESG%20creates%20value/Five-ways-that-ESG-creates-value.ashx">McKinsey report</a> found that a strong ESG proposition helps companies grow within their markets and beyond, sparks consumer interest, and drives more investment returns since capital is better allocated to more sustainable practices. The act of disclosing, Fischweicher said, gives a glimpse into a company's actual climate impact, with boosts to reputation and trust in customers, suppliers, and investors alike. And while <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-12-01/the-esg-market-is-controlled-by-a-few-big-investors">$120 billion</a> poured into ESG investments in 2021, according to Bloomberg, that comes with <a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/reinventing-the-future/take-on-tomorrow/time-for-non-financial-transparency.html">greater expectations</a> of transparency. And that transparency helps companies track progress, uncover risks and opportunities, and get ahead of potential mandatory environmental reporting, Fischweicher said."What gets measured, gets managed," he added.<h2>How CDP scores companies' environmental impacts</h2>Each year, CDP publishes its climate change, deforestation, and water security questionnaires, guidance documents, and<a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/guidance/guidance-for-companies"> scoring methodologies</a> for companies. The questionnaire focuses on emissions targets and use, the percentage of energy use from renewable sources, incentives for employees to reach these targets, and board-level oversight of climate change. Companies input their responses and data into CDP's online reporting system. CDP scores the company based on the detail of its questionnaire responses and its management and progress on a grade scale of A to F. The<a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/companies/companies-scores"> scores are publicly available</a> — among the best performers in 2021, the latest year with complete data, were Unilever and HP. Most environmental disclosure requests come from stakeholders. "Many times, they'll disclose because their investors or customers have asked," Fischweicher said. But some organizations are proactive about disclosing their targets, he added, and even require their suppliers to disclose their environmental metrics, too.Fischweicher said even though the information is self-reported, organizations are held accountable by the fact that the information goes to investors — and<a href="https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/investing-basics/role-sec/laws-govern-securities-industry"> misleading investors</a> could be a liability. CDP also encourages companies to verify some metrics, like emissions reports, through<a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/guidance/verification"> a third party</a>, like the<a href="https://www.carbontrust.com/what-we-do/assurance-and-certification/the-carbon-trust-standard"> Carbon Trust Standard</a>."Our role as a nonprofit is not just to produce this score — although the score is a really valuable taste test of who's leading and who may have some gaps to fill. We also hope to use that to incentivize best practice and environmental management," Fischweicher said.

How a nonprofit is holding companies like Stanley Black & Decker accountable to sustainability goals using a ranking system

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/advancing-cities"></a><div type="image" title="Honolulu hawaii" height="1413" width="1885" msid="90691243" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11899377" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="honolulu" source="Orion">Honolulu</keyword>, <keyword id="12062287" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="san-antonio" source="Orion">San Antonio</keyword>, <keyword id="12054533" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boston" source="Orion">Boston</keyword>, and <keyword id="13256244" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="raleigh-durham" source="Orion">Raleigh-Durham</keyword> have been investing in residents and the planet.</li><li>For example, Honolulu's efforts are focused on public transit, <keyword id="11963839" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="clean-energy" source="Orion">clean energy</keyword>, and waste management.</li><li>Cities like San Antonio and Raleigh have digital inclusion and expanding jobs at the forefront.</li></ul>Last summer, the Honolulu City Council approved the city's first-ever <a href="https://resilientoahu.org/climate-action-plan">Climate Action Plan</a>, a detailed strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% over the next five years and reach carbon neutrality by 2045. The plan had been years in the making and involved community meetings, working groups with stakeholders including local utility companies and other partners, and resident engagement.<div type="image" title="headshot of Matthew Gonser" height="1956" width="2608" msid="90691244" hostid="261"></div>"There was a lot of work already underway, a lot of things that were already city priorities," Matthew Gonser, Honolulu's chief resilience officer, who leads the city's <keyword id="11896309" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sustainability" source="Orion">sustainability</keyword> efforts, told Insider. "But it's exciting having this formalized and articulated in terms of the direct relationship and connection to both efficiency opportunities, cost-saving opportunities, and then driving down emissions over time."<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/honolulu-hawaii-resilience-office-climate-change-sustainable-city-2021-4">Honolulu's</a> Resilience Office, which is in charge of tracking <keyword id="11896311" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">climate change</keyword>'s impacts on the island of Oahu and ensuring the city and its residents are prepared, is focusing on transportation, building energy use, and waste management — areas that contribute the most greenhouse gas emissions, he said. The office's sustainability plan includes electrifying ground transportation, increasing walking and biking paths and accessibility, expanding energy efficiency and renewable energy, and decreasing solid waste amounts.Honolulu is one of four cities that Insider featured in its "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/advancing-cities">Advancing Cities</a>" series last year. The city isn't alone in making progress in its efforts to become more resilient. Here's a look at how the Hawaiian capital, along with San Antonio, Boston, and Raleigh-Durham, are also driving innovation and looking to the future.<h2>Honolulu, Hawaii, is homing in on water use</h2>In addition to public transit, clean energy, and waste management, water efficiency is another key part of Honolulu's resiliency and sustainability efforts, which Gonser said is more important than ever. The Navy's <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/08/us/hawaii-navy-water.html">Red Hill Bulk Fuel Facility recently leaked petroleum</a> and contaminated the water supply in Oahu. To make sure the island doesn't run out of clean water, the water utility requested that residents reduce their water usage by 10%."This could be an issue for a long time, but it really drives home the point that efficiency across energy and water brings security and savings, and really a respect for the resources," he added. Gonser says the issue has also highlighted the need for better processes to track water and energy use, which is something his office is working on.The resilience office also introduced <a href="https://hnldoc.ehawaii.gov/hnldoc/measure/2121">Bill 22</a> at the city council to establish better benchmarking and reporting requirements for buildings on their water and energy use.<h2>San Antonio, Texas, is committed to digital equity and smart city technology </h2><div type="image" title="The skyline of San Antonio at night" height="801" width="1068" msid="90691247" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="headshot of Candelaria Mendoza" height="1392" width="1857" msid="90691249" hostid="261"></div>Digital inclusion has been a priority for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/san-antonio-texas-office-innovation-smart-tech-infrastructure-divide-2021-5">San Antonio</a>'s Office of Innovation since a city survey in 2019 revealed many residents lacked broadband connectivity, digital literacy, and access to devices. Last year, the city hired Candelaria Mendoza as its digital inclusion administrator to continue the commitment.<a href="https://www.sadigitalconnects.com/">SA Digital Connects</a>, a public-private-community partnership, was established to create a roadmap to expand connectivity in San Antonio and the greater Bexar County and implement the city's Digital Equity Plan. "Digital access is a foundational component that creates a domino effect to education to workforce development to economic development," Mendoza told Insider.San Antonio is also developing a smart city plan in collaboration with residents and the city's research and development team, which will be released by the end of the year."We're having stakeholder conversations to identify key priorities for how we can leverage data, technology, and open innovation to improve public services," smart city administrator <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilybroyall/">Emily Royall</a> told Insider.This month, the <a href="https://www.texassmartcities.org/summit2022.html">Texas Smart Cities Summit</a> will bring stakeholders together to discuss topics like infrastructure, cybersecurity, digital services, and public participation. Royall said the city also hosts <a href="https://www.sanantonio.gov/smartsa">SmartSA Sandbox</a>, outdoor, festival-style events, where the public can engage with smart technology. Around 600 people attended the last event in October, Royall added. San Antonio's <a href="https://www.sanantonio.gov/Innovation/R-D-League">R&amp;D League</a>, which uses data and research to discover new ideas and create policies, has been working to secure grants and conducting experiments to help the city plan for the next decade, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-kinnison-b4064012/">Kate Kinnison</a>, R&amp;D administrator, told Insider. The goal is for the R&amp;D League to distribute grants to "lay a foundation for all the transformative work that needs to happen in San Antonio," she said.<h2>Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, is focusing on workforce and economic development </h2><div type="image" title="Raleigh, North Carolina" height="664" width="886" msid="90691251" hostid="261"></div>Over the past year, the city of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-innovation-offices-raleigh-durham-north-carolina-2021-6">Raleigh</a> transitioned its economic development office from the city to a partnership between the city, the <a href="https://www.raleighchamber.org/">Raleigh Chamber of Commerce</a>, and <a href="https://raleigh-wake.org/">Wake County Economic Development</a>.<div type="image" title="headshot of Kyle Touchstone" height="1169" width="1559" msid="90691254" hostid="261"></div>In September, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ktouchstone/">Kyle Touchstone</a> was hired as director of Raleigh Economic Development and has been focused on recruiting companies to the <a href="https://www.rtp.org/">Research Triangle</a> area and ensuring a talented workforce is in place to staff these businesses. Biotech firm <a href="https://www.amgen.com/stories/2022/03/amgen-breaks-ground-on-new-drug-substance-manufacturing-facility-in-north-carolina">Amgen announced plans to build a new plant</a> set to open in 2025 in the area. <a href="https://fujifilmdiosynth.com/about-us/press-releases/fujifilm-selects-north-carolina-as-the-location-to-build-the-largest-cell-culture-biopharmaceutical-cdmo-facility-in-north-america/">Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies</a> is also building a $2 billion facility that will bring 700 jobs, and <a href="https://www.enr.com/articles/51661-apple-to-build-1-billion-east-coast-campus-in-north-carolina">Apple</a> is investing in a $1 billion campus in North Carolina. To ensure that there's enough tech talent to fill these jobs, Touchstone told Insider that local universities are expanding their engineering and computer science programs. "We're a community that was built on innovation," he said. "It's at our core, and we'll continue to see innovation play a major role in our future." In nearby Durham, city officials are planning to open applications for the <a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/3165/Innovate-Durham">Innovate Durham</a> program, which turns the city into a test lab for new ideas, in mid-April. The program was put on hold in 2020 and pared down in 2021 because of the pandemic."This year, we're trying to make sure that the companies are paired well to find real solutions that could turn into sustainable solutions that continue after the cohort ends," <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-grace-stoneking-mpp-6844b2b0/">Mary Grace Stoneking</a>, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) local government management fellow for the city, told Insider.<div type="image" title="headshot of Andrew Holland" height="271" width="361" msid="90691255" hostid="261"></div>The city is also being intentional about engaging minority- and women-owned businesses and startups, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-holland-aa8a3642/">Andrew Holland</a>, Durham's assistant director for strategy and performance, told Insider. Durham is continuing to embrace data to make citywide decision-making processes more equitable, Stoneking said. Its budget equity tool and scoring matrix rank budget requests from city departments based on equity, including which areas of the city they're focused on and which populations will be affected. This has also involved training other city departments in how to use data and how to collect data around racial equity, she added.Residents are also engaged in capital improvement projects (CIP) to ensure equity. Holland said residents sit on the CIP committee with city staff and help score project requests, and residents receive a stipend for their time.<h2>Boston, Massachusetts, is examining ways to make its energy grids more efficient and adapt to smart technology </h2><div type="image" title="Boston skyline in Massachusetts" height="1256" width="1674" msid="90691256" hostid="261"></div>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-boston-updating-infrastructure-smart-utilities-program-tech-sustainable-2021-9">Boston</a> Smart Utilities Program outfitted Boston's streetlights with smart sensors, WiFi, and cameras to learn more about traffic and pollution. Now, the city is conducting a lighting audit to see where the technology can be expanded.<div type="image" title="headshot of Travis Anderson" height="621" width="828" msid="90691257" hostid="261"></div>As part of deploying smart city technology, the city is examining the long-term maintenance and ownership of the technology and the data it produces, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-anderson-17003b1a6/">Travis Anderson</a>, senior infrastructure and energy planner at the Boston Planning and Development Agency, told Insider."What department will be responsible for it? How is the data collected?" he said. "We want to ensure privacy, of course."Boston is also studying ways to decarbonize district energy microgrids, which are energy systems that provide thermal and electrical energy for buildings onsite. But some of that energy, even though it's efficient, is cogenerated with fossil fuels.Anderson said they're planning to wrap up the study this summer and release a report, which will guide the city's project teams in their district energy analyses and look at new energy technology."Often you think of infrastructure as this static solution, but we're looking at it in a way in which we can adapt it and have it be effectively smart for new technology that emerges down the line," he said.Boston is looking at increasing resiliency overall, too. Working with the city's energy office, Anderson said they need to ensure that energy grids can handle the "smart tech integration across the city."

How 4 US cities are building resilience by focusing on clean energy, innovation, and smart infrastructure

Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) has announced today that <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> is providing foundational support through a seed grant to establish a coalition of stakeholders, which will support expansion of renewable energy market infrastructure throughout <keyword id="21718" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Asia">Asia</keyword>. t 
 
In a statement CRS said that the aim of this collaborative effort is to explore opportunities to establish robust voluntary renewable energy options that will allow individuals and businesses to buy credible and impactful renewable energy. 
 
CRS Executive Director Jennifer Martin said "For 20 years CRS has been assisting policy makers and market participants around the world to support the development of clean energy," 
 
"We are excited to collaborate with Google to build an inclusive coalition of stakeholders to advance voluntary renewable energy markets and procurement options in the region," he said. 
 
Gary Demasi, director, Google Data Center Energy and Location Strategy in a statement said: "At Google, we are committed to powering 100% of our operations from renewable energy because we believe it makes good business sense." 
 
"Ensuring that renewable energy is credibly measured and verified is core to creating robust markets that unlock voluntary demand. We are thrilled to work with CRS to begin establishing new opportunities for customers to purchase renewables not only in Taiwan, but throughout Asia." 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

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