Southern Co. has recently entered into a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) in an effort to develop carbon pollution-free electricity options for federal facilities within Southern’s service territories.
Collaborative Efforts for a Sustainable Future
The memo serves as a commitment between the GSA and Southern to work together on a comprehensive plan that aims to increase the adoption of carbon pollution-free electricity by federal agencies in the region. This collaborative effort will not only help these agencies achieve their reliability and resiliency goals but also contribute towards the U.S. government’s ambitious Federal Sustainability Plan.
Federal Sustainability Plan: A Bold Path to Combat Climate Change
The Federal Sustainability Plan sets forth an ambitious vision to attain 100% carbon pollution-free electricity for all federal government operations by 2030, including maintaining 50% on a 24/7 basis. The plan also focuses on goals related to electric vehicles and cultivating net-zero emissions buildings.
Southern Co.’s Commitment to Emissions Reduction
Aligned with the environmental objectives of the Federal Sustainability Plan, Southern Co. aims to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030, measured against the emissions levels in 2007. Furthermore, the company envisions achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Notably, Southern currently serves as the largest federal customer to the U.S. Army.
Exploring Carbon Pollution-Free Electricity Solutions
The GSA acknowledges the importance of engaging with Southern Co. and other utilities to explore and advance potential carbon pollution-free electricity solutions. These include various sustainable technologies such as solar power, battery storage, nuclear energy, on-site generation, as well as emerging innovations like clean hydrogen.
It is encouraging to witness such collaboration between industry and government, as they join forces to pave the way towards a sustainable and greener future.