On Thursday, January 28th, businesses from across New York will come together to discuss the future of Green Hydrogen and its potential as a clean energy solution.

New York State continues to lead the nation as the center of the transition to a zero-emissions energy system. While electrification, executed in tandem with a significant expansion of renewable energy resources, has the potential to drastically reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, certain sectors of the economy may not be able to fully electrify. These more challenging sectors include manufacturing, heavy transportation, and long duration energy storage.

In recent conversations with clients and suppliers, we have noticed the Renewable Energy Credit (REC) has been viewed with some degree of disdain and ridicule. Some of the negative impressions associated with RECs are justified. About a decade ago, the energy industry went through an era of “greenwashing” where many companies made dubious environmental claims, and RECs certainly played a role in some of those cases^[1].

It’s got Jim Cramer saying it’s “sexy” and natural gas companies betting their futures on it. What are we talking about? Green hydrogen (GH2). And no, GH2 isn’t just hydrogen by another name, it’s hydrogen produced by renewable energy and there are several important reasons why its trending today.  

COVID-19 has changed our lives in so many ways. At 5, we transitioned to remote working on March 16th as lockdowns were imposed in the states where we live. One positive that came from this transition is that fewer cars are on the road. The result is a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. The 5 Planeteers, our internal sustainability team, wanted to highlight the environmental impacts of this reduction and calculated the overall carbon emissions that our team has saved by telecommuting since mid-March.

Even though we are spending more time at home these days, which means less commuting and less pollution, each of us continues to leave an environmental footprint. Consider these 5 steps you can take to reduce your environmental footprint today:

Moorestown, NJ - May 28, 2020

McLean Packaging, a turnkey provider of rigid set boxes, folding cartons, corrugated displays and thermoformed packaging solutions with emphasis on the beauty and personal care sectors, has contracted with national energy advisory firm 5 and ENGIE Resources, LLC on a five-year energy agreement that supports the development of renewables. The deal supports McLean’s zero carbon transition and sustainability goals which include sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable resources.

Dallas, TX - April 4, 2020

Royal Holiday Group has more than 35 years of experience in the national and international tourism industry. It is an owner and operator of Royal Holiday Vacation Club and Park Royal Hotels & Resorts, a hotel chain with 14 resorts in Mexico, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Florida in the United States. Park Royal Hotels and Resorts caters to travelers that are looking for a luxurious beach destination with their Grand Park Royal resorts, a family-friendly resort with their Park Royal line or their Park Royal City group of hotels which offers a more urban hotel setting.

Waterside Plaza is a luxury rental community in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in New York City. Located in the Kips Bay section of Manhattan, Waterside Plaza is comprised of four residential towers with nearly 1,500 units and retail space that serves the community. The complex is adjacent to the United Nations International School and is situated on the East River.

Houghton College had a number of exciting energy projects on campus prior to engaging the team at 5. These projects were driven by their commitment to sustainability and featured a campus-wide LED lighting retrofit project, a 2.6 MW solar array and other initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint. 5 was able to partner with Houghton College’s sustainability and finance teams to put all of the pieces together into a comprehensive strategy for energy procurement and demand-side management.