How canadian Businesses Are Fighting Climate Change with Green Energy
Preventing a climate catastrophe will mean overhauling many parts of our society. We often look to governments or non-profit organizations to precipitate such changes, but the role of businesses shouldn’t be overlooked. With more agility than governments and more capital than non-profits, businesses are in a unique position to make quick and impactful environmental change.
Energy sourcing is an area where businesses can make real headway. Renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydro provide less than 18 percent of Canada’s total primary energy supply, according to natural Resources Canada. Though it varies by province, much of the country’s power still comes from non-renewable sources like coal, gas, and nuclear.
Businesses looking to tackle climate change can support new and existing renewable projects, which displace polluting sources and help green the local grid. But there’s no need to erect a wind turbine outside every office building. By choosing a reputable thirdparty green energy vendor, businesses can reduce their carbon footprint and advance renewable energy in canada—all while showcasing their sustainability progress to their employees, customers, and investors.
Taking action
For the past 14 years, Bullfrog Power has been helping thousands of businesses and individuals shrink their carbon footprint and promote their sustainability story. For every kilowatt hour of electricity a customer uses, Bullfrog puts the equivalent amount of renewable power onto the grid. Bullfrog’s green energy comes from carbon-free sources, like wind, solar, and low-impact hydro.
Sean Drygas, President of bullfrog Power, says that their green energy model is popular with corporate customers who want to fight climate change, but who don’t have the option or the desire to operate their own renewable project.
“It’s a simple and effective way to show your stakeholders that you’re serious about sustainability and the environment,” he says. “Businesses are making an impact on the energy system, and their customers and employees typically respond very well to that.”
Drygas adds that large businesses are increasingly attracted to power purchase agreements (PPAS), which allow them to partner with a generator to source green energy and help get a specific renewable project off the ground. Bullfrog helps customers negotiate favourable PPA rates and choose environmentally-friendly energy projects.
Growing concern about the climate and advantageous renewable power prices are making now an ideal time to choose green energy. “Typically, our customers are committed to buying greenenergy for three years or less,” Drygas says. “But if you can commit to a PPA for, say, 7 to 10 years, you can get a brand-new wind or solar project built in Alberta for less than the cost of the province’s grid electricity today.”
“In fact, many renewable projects wouldn’ t exist were it not for the customer’s long-term commitment ,” Dry gas continues .“businesses with a PPA can talk about how they made a wind farm or a solar project happen, and how that benefits the environment and the community. It’s a great sustainability story.”
Looking to thefuture
Drygas says that the world must transition to a low- carbon economy, and that businesses will play a key role .“you can bea leader in that transition, or you canbe a straggler,” he adds. “Those who shrink their carbon foot print now won’t be ignored. People prefer towork for, buy from, and do business with companies whose values align with their own. And right now, people care about building a green future.”
Those who shrink their carbon footprint now won’t be ignored. People prefer to work for, buy from, and do business with companies whose values align with their own.