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[Episode #37] – Corporate Buyers of Renewables

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Although it’s not widely talked about, one of the hottest sectors buying renewables now is the corporate sector. Fortune 500 companies are buying solar and wind power, and renewable energy credits, at a record pace. But why? What’s in it for them? What are the economic risks and rewards of going to the extra trouble to buy green power? How do arrangements like “virtual power purchase agreements” work? How do we manage balancing between wholesale markets in a future of strong interstate corporate procurement? And what’s the outlook for corporate buying of renewables? Our guest answers all of these questions and more in this wonkilicious episode, guaranteed to keep CFOs on the edge of their seats.

Guest:

Erin Craig is a Managing Director of Origin Climate, a San Francisco-based company that helps implement renewable energy and emission reduction projects to fight climate change. At TerraPass (now Origin Climate), Erin led the organization’s expansion into carbon offset project origination and renewable energy services. Prior to that, she helped develop design standards for energy efficiency, hazardous constituents reduction, labeling, and end-of-life management at Sun Microsystems. She was a founding member of the IEEE’s Electronics and the Environment task force and chaired the Electronic Industries Association’s Environmental Committee. In the early 1990s, Erin was responsible for eliminating ozone-depleting substances at Apple Computer. She has an MS in Technology and Policy from MIT, a BS in Geophysics from Stanford University, and a Six Sigma Master Black Belt from Sun Microsystems.

On the Web:  www.originclimate.com

Recording date: February 1, 2017

Air date: February 22, 2017

Geek rating: 6