Vicinity Energy, owner of the nation's largest portfolio of district energy systems, has entered into an agreement with Constellation, a leading competitive energy provider, to purchase Emission-Free Energy Certificates (EFECs) to match 100% of its annual Boston-Cambridge electricity use starting December 2021.
With this agreement, the company has transitioned to purchasing 100% emissions-free electricity, eliminating 3,132 metric tons of carbon emissions associated with the company's electricity use annually.
Vicinity has invested over $110 million in a series of infrastructure projects to improve efficiencies and reduce environmental impacts in Boston and Cambridge, a region it has served for over 90 years with reliable green steam. By implementing a cleaner energy mix and continuously investing in the city's infrastructure to reduce carbon impacts, Vicinity reduces greenhouse gas emissions in Boston-Cambridge by over 165,000 tons annually, the equivalent of removing 36,000 cars from the road each year.
"This is another step forward in our goal to reach net zero carbon emissions," said Bill DiCroce, CEO and president of Vicinity Energy. "We were inspired by the number of energy suppliers who took part in our RFP to procure emissions-free electricity and encouraged by the region-wide push toward greener energy. We chose Constellation because of its unique product offering and ability to supply emissions-free energy for our entire Boston-Cambridge district, which includes over 230 customers, from major research labs, universities to government buildings. We're proud to keep Boston safe and warm during the winter months, and even prouder to do be marching forward on our path to net zero."
This announcement is one of many key sustainability moves by Vicinity this year, including plans to electrify its Boston district energy steam facilities and its novel use of biogenic fuels in its operations.
"Constellation is pleased to offer clean energy solutions that support our customer's sustainability goals," said Daniel J. Verbanac, senior vice president of retail, for Constellation. "Voluntarily matching electricity supply requirements with carbon-free power generation sources such as nuclear encourages the use of clean, emission-free fuels, and demonstrates a commitment to the environment."
EFECs represent the emissions-free attributes of generating sources that do 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 grid territory. EFECs are tracked and reported through PJM Environmental Information Services' Generation Attribute Tracking System (GATS).
About Vicinity Energy
With 19 district energy systems in 12 major cities, Vicinity Energy is the leading provider of district energy solutions in the U.S. Vicinity produces and distributes steam, hot water, and chilled water directly through its vast underground network to individual buildings and campuses. District energy eliminates the need for boiler and chiller plants in individual buildings, improving overall efficiency, lowering carbon footprints, and increasing reliability. Vicinity's over 450 skilled engineers, operators, and energy experts have a singular dedication to customer success and a relentless focus on delivering reliable and efficient energy products and services. With the recent launch of the company's Clean Energy Future roadmap, Vicinity has committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions across all operations by 2050. For more information, check out www.vicinityenergy.us.
About Constellation
Constellation is a leading competitive retail supplier of power, natural gas, and clean energy solutions for homes and businesses across the continental United States. Constellation's family of retail businesses serves approximately 2 million residential, public sector, and business customers, including more than two-thirds of the Fortune 100. Baltimore-based Constellation is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider, with 2020 revenues of approximately $33 billion, and more than 30,000 megawatts of owned capacity comprising one of the nation's cleanest and lowest-cost power generation fleets. Learn more at www.constellation.com or on Twitter at @ConstellationEG.
Media Contact
Vicinity Media Relations
Colleen Doherty
Director of Communications
857 557 7814
