GM on Pace to Hit Renewable Energy Goal 5 Years Early
Photo: GM
General Motors is making huge strides toward running all its U.S. facilities on fully renewable energy. The automaker’s goal was to accomplish this by 2030, but it’s currently on track to do so by 2025 instead.
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GM estimates that meeting this renewable energy goal five years early will eliminate 1 million metric tons of carbon emissions that would have otherwise contributed to climate change.
When GM first targeted 100 percent renewable energy in 2016, it hoped to achieve this objective in 25 years. So far, progress has been much more rapid than planned, putting the company far ahead of schedule on a key element of its push for full carbon neutrality.
“We know climate action is a priority and every company must push itself to decarbonize further and faster,” said Kristen Siemen, GM’s chief sustainability officer. “That’s what we are doing by aiming to achieve 100 percent renewable energy five years earlier in the U.S. as we continue to advance on our commitment to lead an all-electric, carbon-neutral future.”
GM’s renewable energy strategy
To reach its renewable energy goal, GM says it’s following a four-part strategy. First, it’s working to energy efficiency and cut consumption — successfully, as evidenced by 10 straight years of winning the EPA Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award.
Photo: General Motors
Another key factor, of course, is sourcing renewable energy through a variety of avenues, including purchases from energy providers and investments in renewable energy sources operated by the company itself.
GM is also developing technology to store the renewable energy it sources. That way, its operations won’t be vulnerable to blackouts or other changes in power availability.
Finally, GM is throwing its support behind government policies that help to create renewable energy grids and encourage an accessible carbon-neutral power market.
As it works toward 100 percent renewable energy, GM has its sights set on even bigger goals. By 2035, the automaker wants to eliminate all tailpipe emissions from its new light-duty vehicles. By 2040, the automaker wants its operations and products to be completely carbon-neutral. As part of these goals, GM is pouring $35 million into electric-vehicle development and production, and it plans to come out with over 30 EV models around the world by 2025.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.