(Credit: NextEra Energy)NextEra Energy plans to reach a carbon-emissions-reduction rate of 82% by 2030 by boosting investment in wind, solar, battery storage and green hydrogen, the company announced. Reaching the goal would require significant investment by the company to transform its generation fleet by eliminating all scope 1 and scope 2 carbon emissions across NextEra Energy's operations.
The company has developed the Zero Carbon Blueprint, a comprehensive carbon-emissions-reduction plan, to outline the steps it would need to take to achieve its goals and track its progress. The plan will significantly increase renewable energy deployment and "lead the $4 trillion market opportunity to decarbonize the US economy," the company says.
The company has set interim milestones every five years to transform its generation mix to increasingly produce electricity from zero-carbon-emissions resources until Real Zero is achieved. Using NextEra Energy's 2005 standard adjusted baseline, the company now plans to reach a carbon-emissions-reduction rate of 70% by 2025, exceeding its previous commitment. Under its Real Zero goal, the company would improve that carbon emissions reduction rate to 82% by 2030, 87% by 2035 and 94% by 2040 before trying to achieve Real Zero by no later than 2045.
A significant portion of NextEra Energy's plan to eliminate carbon emissions is designed to take place at Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). Over the last 20 years, FPL has improved its carbon-emissions rate by 40%, resulting in an emissions profile that today is already 28% below the national average, according to the company. Over that time, FPL says it has eliminated its use of foreign oil and shuttered all of its coal plants in Florida while saving its customers more than $12 billion in avoided fuel costs.
As part of Real Zero, FPL's goal is to significantly accelerate the transformation of its generation mix, reaching 36% decarbonized by 2025, 52% by 2030, 62% by 2035 and 83% by 2040, culminating in 100% decarbonization by no later than 2045. FPL plans to reach these interim targets through further modernization of its generation fleet in Florida, which will be comprised of a diverse mix of solar, battery storage, existing nuclear, green hydrogen and other renewable sources.
Other companies hoping to reach carbon-zero in the next 30 years include DHL, whose goal is to cut its logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050, and Saint-Gobain, having pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
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