The purchasing power of large technology companies and multinationals has the ability to turn the renewables market “on its head”. The problem lies not in demand for green energy, but in the access to supply. In the United States, renewables (including solar, wind, hydropower and biomass) account for about 10 percent of all energy used and 13 percent of total electricity generated – even as corporate contracts for renewable energy nearly tripled from 2014 to 2015.
The problem is that even though there is an appetite for many more gigawatts of renewable capacity, it’s difficult for large companies in the U.S. to buy as much as they want. A new network of 60 companies and over 50 leading project developers and service providers aims to break down barriers to renewables by creating demand. The Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance, known as REBA, plans to see 60 GW of renewable energy deployed in the U.S. by 2025. As corporate giants band together to demand alternatives to fossil fuel, it’s hoped that developers and policy makers will follow suit, making infrastructure and the political environment easier to become greener.
