Vicinity Energy decarbonises Baltimore district systems with Constellation
US utility Constellation will be providing district energy systems operator Vicinity Energy with emissions-free energy certificates (EFECS) for the company to be able to match its electricity provided to customers in Baltimore with renewable energy.
As a result of the EFECS, which Vicinity Energy will be purchasing from Constellation as from this year, all the electricity the company will be buying to power its operations in the Baltimore district will be carbon-free.
Over 50% of the steam Vicinity Energy has been producing in the past few years were produced using zero-carbon fuel-based renewable energy, a development which has resulted in the reduction of 30,000 tons of carbon emissions in Baltimore. This is equivalent to taking off some 11,000 cars from the road for a year in Baltimore.
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However, with the new deal signed with Constellation, carbon emissions reduction savings are expected to increase since 100% of the electricity Vicinity Energy will now be using for district heating and cooling will be from renewable energy resources. The new deal expected to eliminate approximately 6,500 metric tons of carbon, the equivalent of taking 1,415 cars off the road per year.
EFECs confirms that the generation source used for producing electricity does not directly emit greenhouse gases, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, or carbon dioxide.
The EFECs purchased by Vicinity Energy are sourced from facilities located in the PJM Interconnection.
Bill DiCroce, president and CEO of Vicinity Energy, said: “Simply put, we can now purchase electricity generated without fossil fuels to run our Baltimore operations.
“We have been able to source our electricity from emissions-free sources. As we enter Baltimore’s famously hot summers, this will have a significant beneficial impact on our cooling operations; slashing carbon emissions, improving air quality, and moving us tangibly toward our overall goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions across our entire business by 2050. We’re privileged to keep Baltimore residents cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and with this milestone, we can do it in an even cleaner, greener way.”
Vicinity Energy operates 19 district energy systems in 12 major cities to eliminate the need for boiler and chiller plants in individual buildings, improving overall efficiency, lowering carbon footprints, and increasing reliability. The company has set a goal to achieve net-zero across its operations by 2050. To achieve the 2050 goal, Vicinity Energy plans to expand its investments in green energy, energy efficiency, battery storage and leading-edge technologies.
