Tag: 3BL

Regions Bank, the Birmingham Legion FC soccer team, and the Birmingham Education Foundation teamed up for a youth financial education and soccer clinic. Third, fourth, and fifth-grade students, teachers and administrators from Avondale Elementary had the opportunity to participate in festivities.

Nearly 140 students joined Legion players, coaches and Regions Bank associates in a “financial relay” that included interactive games based on financial literacy. The Legion also awarded jerseys to the team that achieved the fastest and most successful results.

Programs such as the one provided by Regions are fundamental and allow our residents and our children to become successful as they continue to grow and develop their roots in Alabama.Tim Sullivan, senior vice president corporate sales and strategy for Birmingham Legion

“I believe financial literacy programs are extremely beneficial for students and their families,” said Tim Sullivan, senior vice president corporate sales and strategy for Birmingham Legion. “Programs such as the one provided by Regions are fundamental and allow our residents and our children to become successful as they continue to grow and develop their roots in Alabama.”

Sullivan said it is important for companies like Regions Bank and community partners like the Birmingham Legion to come together to support schools and provide support for events such as this. “It is truly second to none in importance. By great teams, companies and institutions working together, we can offer visibility, excitement and education to all of our children across this great city,” said Sullivan.

Regions Bank offers financial literacy for children and families through NextStep financial wellness programs. NextStep provides tips, tools and financial resources to help boost money management skills and achieve financial goals. Virtual learning is also available for students. Programs are designed to teach the value of smart money habits through interactive games and fun lesson plans available for children in kindergarten through 8th grade.

The Birmingham Legion just completed another successful season, advancing to the USL Championship semifinals. Last May, the Legion beat Charlotte FC for the club’s first win over an MLS team, American soccer’s highest level, in the U.S. Open Cup.

In honor of Diwali, Albertsons Companies associates in Pleasanton, CA and Plano, TX came together as one team to have fun, build belonging, and celebrate the annual Festival of Lights. The incredible Diwali events featured the lighting of the Diya, singing, dancing, skits, a fashion show, and of course, food!

See original post on LinkedIn and read more about Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.

AMD is ranked #1 in Newsweek’s America’s Greenest Companies 2024, recognizing the company’s impact and commitment to environmental sustainability.

The list of the top 300 companies was compiled by market data researcher Plant A and data and analytics firm GIST Impact using public sustainability data from organizations in the United States with a minimum market capitalization of USD$5 billion. Using emission and consumption intensities based on revenue, companies are scored on more than 25 parameters in four categories: greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, waste generation and sustainability data disclosures and commitments.

“AMD is honored to be included among our customers and peers working to advance environmental sustainability for our world. Our pursuit of progress entails daily actions from AMD employees helping to conserve natural resources – from energy efficiency and renewable energy to rainwater collection and pollution prevention. As a leader in high-performance and adaptive computing, we embrace our role in aggressively reducing operational GHG emissions, advancing supply chain sustainability efforts, and accelerating IT energy efficiency,” said Justin Murrill, AMD Director of Corporate Responsibility.

“Newsweek, market-data research firm Plant-A Insights and GIST Impact are proud to introduce ‘America’s Greenest Companies 2024,’ highlighting companies that are committed to being good stewards of the environment. We hope this new project helps consumers identify the companies that—like many of us—are conscious of their impact on the environment and are working to protect the Earth and its resources.” – Nancy Cooper – Global Editor in Chief – Newsweek

The full list of America’s Greenest Companies can be found here: https://www.newsweek.com/rankings/americas-greenest-companies-2024

Read the AMD Corporate Responsibility Report to learn more: https://www.amd.com/content/dam/amd/en/documents/corporate/cr/2022-23-amd-cr-report.pdf

MIDLAND, Mich, November 17, 2023 /3BL/ – Great Place To Work® (GPTW) and Fortune have honored Dow (NYSE: DOW) as one of the World’s Best Workplaces™ in 2023.

The 25 World’s Best Workplaces™ are being recognized for creating globally exceptional employee experiences, high-trust relationships, and workplace cultures that are fair and equitable for all. GPTW identified the World’s Best Workplaces™ by surveying 6.2 million employees worldwide about the key factors that create great workplaces and analyzing company workplace programs impacting 18 million employees globally.

This year marks Dow’s debut on the list of the World’s Best Workplaces™. Through the 2023 cycle, Dow was certified as a Great Place to Work® in 13 countries and ranked on 10 national Best Workplaces™ lists.

“This is a tremendous honor for Team Dow,” said Jim Fitterling, Dow chair and CEO. “We’re immensely proud of our employees around the globe who have propelled us onto this list for the first time. This is their achievement, a reflection of their voices, and testimony to their efforts every day to make Dow a truly great place to work.”

Alveda Williams, Ph.D., Dow chief inclusion officer, pointed out that the Great Place to Work© World’s Best Workplaces™ list is highly competitive. “Even being eligible for consideration as a World’s Best Workplace™ is something Team Dow can be proud of,” she said. “But ranking on this exclusive list is one the highest honors because it is the ultimate reflection of our global company – earned by our colleagues in every region committed to making their workplace a great place for all.”

To be considered for the list, companies must have already been a Great Place To Work Certified™ organization. They must also be identified as outstanding global employers by appearing on at least five Best Workplaces™ lists in Asia, Europe, Latin America, Africa, North America or Australia during 2022 or early 2023. Companies must have at least 5,000 employees worldwide with at least 40% (or 5,000) of those employees located outside the headquarters country.

Dow has previously been recognized for its commitment to a strong company culture. Some of the Company’s other awards include:

Great Place To Work® and Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list: three consecutive years, 2021-2023Great Place To Work® and Fortune 100 Best Workplaces for in Manufacturing & Production® list: three consecutive years, 2021-2023Great Place To Work® and PEOPLE® Companies that Care list: four consecutive years, 2020-2023

About the Fortune World’s Best Workplaces™ 
Great Place To Work® selected the World’s Best Workplaces™ by gathering and analyzing confidential survey responses representing 6.2 million employees worldwide at Great Place To Work Certified organizations. Organizations are assessed on their efforts to create great workplaces and positively impact people and communities across multiple countries around the world. Companies must have appeared on at least five Best Workplaces lists in Asia, Europe, Latin America, Africa, North America, or Australia during 2022 or early 2023, and have at least 5,000 employees worldwide, with 40% outside of their headquartered country. Read the full methodology.

To be considered, companies must use the Great Place To Work Trust Index™ Survey. To earn a place on this list next year, start here.

About Great Place To Work® 
Great Place To Work® is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, it has surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Its employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting, and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything it does is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a great place to work for all.

Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Dow 
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth; asset integration and scale; focused innovation and materials science expertise; leading business positions; and environmental, social and governance leadership to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. The Company’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world. Dow’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated, science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Dow operates manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 37,800 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $57 billion in 2022. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow 
@DowNewsroom on Twitter.

For further information contact: 
Rachelle Schikorra 
989-513-8598 
ryschikorra@dow.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DowNewsroom 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dow/ 
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/dow-chemical 
Instagram: http://instagram.com/dow_official

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow

SOURCE The Dow Chemical Company

NEW YORK, November 17, 2023 /3BL/ – In a remarkable collaboration aimed at tackling food insecurity and advancing sustainable urban agriculture, Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) and Green Mountain Energy Sun Club® (Sun Club) are excited to preview a new, cutting-edge hydroponic farm at the Murry Bergtraum Educational Campus in Manhattan. This groundbreaking made possible from a $148,000 sustainability grant from Sun Club and represents a beacon of hope for food justice advocates and sustainability enthusiasts alike.

The TFFJ/Green Mountain Energy Sun Club Farm at the Murry Bergtraum Educational Campus — which will unfold over the next 18 months — will grow a projected 8,000 pounds of produce per year in a 1,500-square-foot space that is adjacent to the campus cafeteria. This produce will be served to 1,400 students in the campus cafeteria and distributed through partnerships with local community-based organizations to food-insecure community members.

“We are thrilled to announce this hydroponic farm at the Murry Bergtraum Educational Campus and to continue our partnership with Sun Club,” said Katherine Soll, CEO/Founder of Teens for Food Justice. “This project exemplifies our mission and commitment to empowering young people to become advocates for food justice and equity. We believe that by educating and involving students in urban farming, we can help them develop a deeper understanding of the food system and inspire positive change in their communities. The TFFJ farm at the Murry Bergtraum Educational Campus signifies a significant milestone in our mission to provide fresh, locally grown produce to underserved communities while fostering environmental responsibility and youth empowerment. It will serve as a dynamic educational platform, offering students on campus a unique opportunity to engage with sustainable agriculture practices, nutrition, and food justice issues firsthand.”

The sustainability grant from Sun Club will support all of the TFFJ farm’s equipment, consumables, and environmental controls. This is Sun Club’s second grant award to TFFJ, having first supported the launch of the TFFJ/Green Mountain Energy Sun Club Farm at the DeWitt Clinton Educational Campus in the Bronx in 2017.

“Green Mountain Energy and Teens for Food Justice share a common vision of creating a more equitable and sustainable future,” said Mark Parsons, vice president and general manager of Green Mountain Energy. “This hydroponic farm at the Murry Bergtraum Educational Campus is a testament to what can be achieved when organizations collaborate and address critical issues like food insecurity and climate change. We are thrilled to announce this innovative project and its potential to transform the lives of students and community members.”

Once fully built, the hydroponic farm will utilize state-of-the-art technology to cultivate a wide range of fresh, student-grown produce — including leafy greens, herbs, and other vegetables — while using 90% less water compared to traditional soil-based agriculture and eliminating the need for harmful pesticides. This sustainable farming method aligns perfectly with Sun Club’s commitment to supporting environmentally responsible initiatives and is an excellent fit for urban environments like Manhattan.

Urban Assembly Maker Academy students are already engaged in TFFJ programming in the lab in room 439 even before their farm is built, using smaller hydroponic towers, DIY grow-kits, and a vine crop system to grow food while also designing a “green wall” to live outside the farm classroom. In total, roughly 300 Urban Assembly Maker Academy students will be actively engaged in STEM-focused farm programming, as well as in TFFJ’s afterschool Food Justice Collective, which provides youth with comprehensive nutrition and health education and food justice advocacy training to help them become empowered consumers and changemakers.

“This TFFJ farm helps further our mission to cultivate students as problem-solvers who can create positive change in a world where change is the only constant,” said Amy Piller, Principal of Urban Assembly Maker Academy. “This hands-on experience will not only enhance our students’ knowledge of sustainable agriculture, but also teach them valuable skills for a more sustainable future while instilling in them a sense of empowerment and preparedness for the landscape of the ever-changing 21st century.”

The preview event for the hydroponic farm at Murry Bergtraum Campus took place November 16, 2023, and the completed farm is scheduled to fully launch in December 2024.

For media inquiries and further information about this collaboration and the hydroponic farm, please contact:

Aliya Brown

Senior Communications & Content Manager
abrown@teensforfoodjustice.org
929-224-2108 (mobile)

About Teens for Food Justice

Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) operates high-capacity hydroponic farms on six school campuses across four New York City boroughs and in Denver, Colorado. TFFJ students use real-world21st-century science and technology to grow up to 10,000 pounds (per school) of hydroponic produce annually. Through the program, TFFJ’s farmers develop a meaningful solution to food insecurity, transform their relationship with the food they eat, and develop cutting-edge STEM skills needed in a new green-sector economy. TFFJ operates five farms in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan, serving 18 schools and 7,000 students and growing nearly 36,000 pounds of produce annually. Four more farms will be operational by Spring 2024, serving nine additional schools and more than 4,000 additional students and bringing TFFJ’s total annual production to over 68,000 pounds of fresh produce.

About Green Mountain Energy Sun Club

Green Mountain Energy is inspiring hope, motivating action through the use of clean energy, and advancing sustainable communities through the work of Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. Since its founding in 2002, Sun Club® has donated more than $13 million to 156 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club collaborates with nonprofit organizations on projects that focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. To learn more about Green Mountain Energy and Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit greenmountain.com/sunclub.

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The Republic of Tea, leading purveyor of premium teas and herbs, is delighted to announce the return of its Organic Holiday Chai Tea for the tenth consecutive year. This beloved blend of chai spices and red rooibos makes its annual debut for a limited time and for a good cause. In partnership with Whole Planet Foundation, a Whole Foods Market nonprofit organization, The Republic of Tea will contribute to the organization’s mission to empower hardworking entrepreneurs to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

From now through December 31, 2023, a portion of the proceeds from each tin of Organic Holiday Chai Tea sold in select Whole Foods Market stores will be allocated to fund microloans to those in need. Whole Planet Foundation has already funded 7 million microloans across 79 countries where Whole Foods Market sources products. Their efforts have not only supported local and global communities but have also provided 35 million income-generating opportunities to entrepreneurs and their family members.

“We cherish our ongoing partnership with Whole Planet Foundation, especially when the Organic Holiday Chai Tea is available to build awareness about Whole Planet Foundation’s impact and reach,” says Kristina Tucker, Minister of Enlightenment and Commerce for The Republic of Tea. “We are grateful to offer this great-tasting tea for the past decade. It is extremely rewarding to witness the life-changing opportunities created for women and their families as a result of the Foundation’s relentless pursuit to alleviate poverty around the globe.”

Organic Holiday Chai Tea is an exotic, caffeine-free blend that can be enjoyed on its own or combined with honey and steamed milk, for a healthy and delicious seasonal tea latte. Each tin holds 36 round, gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegan unbleached tea bags free of tags, strings or staples. Priced at $12.99 per tin, it offers exceptional value at only 36 cents per cup. Organic Holiday Chai Tea can be purchased exclusively at select Whole Foods Market stores.

About The Republic of Tea

The Republic of Tea enriches people’s lives through its great-tasting premium teas and herbs, education and innovation, as it emphasizes a “Sip by Sip Rather Than Gulp by Gulp” lifestyle. Founded in 1992, The Republic of Tea sparked a specialty tea revolution. Today the brand delivers an unequaled selection of the highest-quality teas, herbal blends, and nature-inspired sipware at an incredible value. The Republic of Tea’s collections boast over 350 all-natural premium teas and diverse offerings which include but are not limited to: organic SuperAdapt™ Teas, SuperDigest Tea® collection, Beautifying Botanicals®, Be Well® Teas,  Bridgerton Teas, Downton Abbey® Teas, organic SuperHerb® Teas, Single Sips®, and Theo & Thea™ Teas. Further, The Republic of Tea is mindful of how its actions impact the greater community and actively supports organizations like Homeward Bound of Marin and The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). The Republic of Tea also works to elevate the consciousness of sustainability; it is a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, Upcycled Food Association, Climate Collaborative and American Herbal Products Association. Certifications include Demeter USA Certified Biodynamic®, Gluten-Free certification, Non-GMO Project verification, OU Kosher certification, and USDA Organic certification. For more information, please visit www.REPUBLICofTEA.com or call 1.800.298.4832. Follow The Republic of Tea on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram . 

Pepco | The Source

Suicide has a ripple effect, like a stone thrown into a pond, making waves that disrupt stability and peace. After the splash, nearby birds scatter and turtles recoil into their shells. An environment once thought safe has lost its security as helpless silence fills the void of a lost voice. Even if someone tries to end their life and does not, the resulting impact to their lives and of the lives of those who love them can be profound and everlasting.

Suicide is often the unsaid result of neglecting one’s mental health. Concerns around mental health were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic and recent social unrest. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports these concerns. Suicide is now the 11th leading cause of death, up from 12th previously. In 2021, 48,183 people died by suicide, while there were 1.7 million suicide attempts and an average of 132 suicides per day.[1] It’s also been shown that 80 percent of all suicides are among people of working age—between 18 and 65—making it a workplace issue, not just a personal one.[2]

Maybe you know someone reflected in these statistics. I do, and as the community engagement chair for our Developing Young Professionals employee resource group at Pepco, I’ve had the opportunity to do something about it by partnering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

The AFSP’s mission is to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide through research, education and policy advocacy. Pepco and IBEW Local 1900, our local union representing line workers and other field personnel, have sponsored the organization’s annual Out of the Darkness Community Walk in Washington, D.C. since 2022, raising more than $16,000 to support their work. This year we had the largest team participate in the event.

Our employees have also benefitted from AFSP’s educational efforts through their Talk Saves Lives series on suicide prevention education for workplace settings. This content “provides participants with the scope of the problem of suicide, key research findings, including risk factors and warning signs for suicide, along with recommendations for the role we can all play in suicide prevention.”[3] We were encouraged to live out the knowledge gained through AFSP’s educational content in a way that makes us kinder, and more sensitive to the issue of suicide at work and at home.

We’re also looking for ways to amplify AFSP’s mission and serve our communities in new ways that reflect the everyday issues we all face. This includes addressing issues of mental health and suicide prevention by creating safe spaces for employees and members of our community to come together to find healing and hope. It’s that spirit, we’re continuing our support of the AFSP by hosting one of many occurrences around the country of International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day at our Pepco Edison Place Gallery on November 18, 2023. International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day brings together survivors of suicide loss to find connection, understanding, and hope. These events are free and exclusive to survivors of suicide loss. If you would like to attend one of these events, please contact your local AFSP chapter or send an email to survivorday@afsp.org.

There is always hope. Do not be afraid to ask for help when you need it and know that you are not alone. If you or someone you know is ever in a suicidal crisis, please call 988 or text 741-741 to speak with a qualified professional who can help.

[1] WISQARS Fatal and Nonfatal Injury Reports (cdc.gov)

[2] Workplace Suicide Prevention | Make suicide prevention a health and safety priority at work

[3] Talk Saves Lives TM | AFSP

Celebrating the launch of the Higg Facility Environment Module (FEM) 4.0 tool, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and Worldly hosted a series of webinars for global stakeholders. The presentations illustrated how the updated Higg FEM tool marks an industry milestone in sustainability reporting to meet pressing environmental issues and industry standards, positioning the Higg FEM 4.0 as the leading assessment for environmental performance in the consumer goods industry.

Facilitated by Loretta Tam, vice president of Customer Success at Worldly, the presentation kicked off with Scott Raskin, chief executive officer of Worldly, who conveyed the urgency of value chain participation in light of increased regulatory disclosure. Higg FEM 4.0 aligns with key global standards — including the GHG Protocol, the SBTi, and the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero — to drive emissions reductions and reduce duplicative reporting.

Amina Razvi, CEO of SAC, shared how Higg FEM 4.0 was redesigned to meet industry needs, offering broader coverage of critical environmental issues, such as groundwater and soil contamination, to help facilitate improvements on a global scale. It also features improved and streamlined usability by including targeted questions relevant to facilities. Additionally, Higg FEM 4.0 unveiled a new anomaly detector designed to flag inconsistencies on-platform. The result, Razvi shared, is a tool that delivers better data quality and a more accurate environmental assessment.

Jeremy Lardeau, VP of Higg Index at SAC, presented on the specifics of the tool’s design during the first webinar, which was timed for participants from the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa; on the second, timed for participants from the Asia-Pacific region, this information was shared by Angela Ng, director, Higg Facility Tools at SAC. They were joined by John Armstrong, chief technology officer at Worldly, who presented on user experience, and Eustaquio Brant, environmental program manager at Bestseller, who shared the brand’s experience with Higg FEM 4.0.

The participants emphasized that the teams engaged 140 representatives across 12 Member Expert Teams (METs) to collect stakeholder feedback, spending two years on the process of building Higg FEM 4.0. Stakeholders on the METs represented 62 manufacturers, 57 brands/retailers, 10 service providers, and five affiliate members, and provided insights that helped to shape the FEM framework, scoring methodology, question content, and more, to build a tool that meets relevant industry standards and protocols. Finally, the webinar sessions outlined how Higg FEM 4.0 was tested by more than 400 users, who provided feedback within the platform. After a Q&A session, each webinar concluded with the understanding that Higg FEM 4.0 empowers users to identify, prioritize, and scale sustainability efforts.

As members transition to Higg FEM 4.0, the SAC and Worldly will host additional member and user webinars and Office Hours throughout the month.

Southwire is pleased to announce a partnership with READY Robotics, a pioneer in cutting-edge automation solutions that overcome the obstacles faced by manufacturers, to deploy automation at five of the company’s facilities.

Through the partnership, Southwire’s Retail East Customer Service Center (CSC) in Villa Rica, Ga.; Utility Products Plant in Carrollton, Ga.; Kentucky Plant in Hawesville, Ky.; Florence Plant in Florence, Ala.; and Bremen Campus in Bremen, Ind., will participate in the automation pilot.

“Partnering with READY Robotics provides us with an opportunity to leverage their expertise, as we continue to deploy cutting-edge technology within our operations,” said Alex Thomas, chief engineer at Southwire. “Continuous improvement is critical to assuring that we safely service our customers, and this partnership helps us accelerate those efforts by using smart solutions that fit nicely with our history as an innovation leader in the industry.”

To prepare for the project, READY Robotics conducted an Automation Readiness Assessment (ARA). This systematic analysis, led by automation professionals, identified potential automation opportunities within Southwire’s production facilities. The ARA process evaluates both traditional automation opportunities and high-mix low-volume (HMLV) operations. These HMLV operations are often seen as challenging to automate without a versatile solution like READY’s ForgeOS, their proprietary industrial OS for robotics and automation.

Allan Gibson, vice president of Automation & Manufacturing Technologies at READY Robotics called the partnership a “game-changer.” He added, “Our collaboration with Southwire to deploy industrial robotics, mobile robotics like automated guided vehicles (AGVs) or autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) across their corporation using ForgeOS is transformative. It underscores Southwire’s commitment to efficiency, quality and sustainability.”

As a part of its commitment to Living Well, Southwire works to enhance the lives of its team members daily by building a workplace that is diverse, supportive and engaging. Safety and health are the company’s top priorities, and this partnership is an extension of those efforts.

“Our partnership with READY Robotics supports our ongoing assessment and initiative to provide a safe environment for all team members,” said Se Oh, Southwire’s vice president of Operations Sustainability. “Through close collaboration between READY Robotics and our Modernization, Health and Safety and Packaging Engineering teams, we plan to cultivate material handling safety and related automation for our existing assets and future investments.”

For more information about Southwire’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, visit the company’s Newsroom online at www.southwire.com/newsroom.

Originally published on Bristol Myers Squibb News & Perspectives

This week, BMS announced a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with National Grid Renewables for 145 megawatts (MW) of solar at the Texas-based Blevins Project. Combined with the 15-year VPPA with EDP Renewables secured in 2022, this move puts BMS another step closer to realizing its goal of 100% of purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

To dig deeper, Danielle Menture, vice president of Environment, Occupational Health, Safety and Sustainability, answers five questions about how BMS is expanding its renewable energy use by investing in VPPAs.

What is a virtual power purchase agreement? How does it work? 

Virtual power purchase agreements, or VPPAs, are longer-term contracts between a large-scale energy purchaser, like BMS, and a developer of a renewable energy project, like National Grid Renewables or EDP, who develop and operate renewable energy assets, including solar.

With a VPPA, BMS is supporting the creation of renewable electricity that is provided to the grid. The company receives what are called renewable energy credits or certificates (RECs) that demonstrate we’ve brought additionality, or new renewable energy generation to the grid.

This agreement is good for both parties: On the developer’s side, it helps create local jobs and income for the community and provides cleaner energy for residents in the project area.

For BMS, it guarantees a fixed rate for electricity once the project is up and running, and it helps offset the direct environmental impact of BMS’ operations. It also supports the creation of a more sustainable planet by increasing the amount of available renewable energy and helping to accelerate the transition to a clean-energy economy.

What are the expected economic and environmental impacts?

Our teams spend a lot of time evaluating the best solutions for BMS. VPPAs are a direct way to add renewable energy to the grid, while offsetting our own carbon footprint. Additionally, they have significant economic benefits to the communities where projects are located.

In total, the direct economic impact of this VPPA with National Grid is estimated to be approximately $35 million over the first 30 years of operation, and that includes job creation and tax revenue generation. It will add a total of 270 megawatts (MW) of solar power to the grid, and according to the Environmental Protection Agency, the project is expected to offset approximately 457,300 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, which is equivalent to taking around 101,700 cars off the road every year.

As for our agreement with EDP, that site adds 240 MW to the grid, and the total generation will be equivalent to the average consumption of more than 37,000 Texas homes1 , and an estimated $55 million in taxes will be paid to support local schools and community services.

How did you decide on the right VPPA? 

It’s important for us to ensure that the VPPAs we contract are in line with our business priorities. Throughout this process, we worked closely with experts at Edison Energy, who helped us identify and structure the right project to not only create a meaningful impact but also tie back to our environmental sustainability goals.

What type of renewable energy is best? 

There isn’t a “best” type of energy. The most popular renewable energies today are wind, geothermal, hydroelectricity, biomass and solar. Both of BMS’ VPPAs invest in solar power. Solar power is a strong option for Texas, where our projects with National Grid and EDP are located, because of the abundance of consistent sunlight.

How will VPPAs help BMS achieve its renewable energy goals? 

BMS made a commitment to get 100% of purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2030. I’m excited by the great strides we’ve made toward this goal, and our VPPA investments are an important part of that. We expect that once both projects start operations — EDP’s Cattlemen Solar Park in December 2023 and National Grid’s Blevins Project estimated in early 2026 — we will be well on track to hit our 2030 target.

To learn more about our latest VPPA agreement, read the press release here.

1. Power generation calculated using a 25% capacity factor; household consumption based on the 2020 EIA Household Data monthly average consumption by state.

About Bristol Myers Squibb

Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. As global citizens, we work sustainably and responsibly to create a positive impact in the communities where we live and work.