New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Developing the new custodians of energy management
26/6/2024
8 min read
Feature
As pressure mounts on the commercial world to show its climate responsibilities, the time has come for the professional energy manager, reports Selwyn Parker.
Faced with the energy transition and the need for low-emission energy in all its forms, industry has to tackle increasingly tough regulations, along with the demands from eco-minded investors, shareholders and its own cost constraints. As these pressures become ever more apparent, the job of the energy manager is becoming more complex.
In April, for instance, the US Department of Energy agreed a rule that puts energy managers in the frontline of climate change. This regulation requires that all federal buildings, a vast stock of 300,000 offices of various sizes, should slash fossil fuel consumption by 90% by 2029 and a year later eliminate the burning of fossil fuels.
Energy experts at the Rocky Mountain Institute ran some figures on the climate impact of this regulation and estimated: ‘Decarbonising [all] state and local government buildings would eliminate 6% of building GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions – approximately 38.6mn t/y.’