New Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance Intends to Aggregate Corporate Procurement

The Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) – a coalition of multinational companies that propose to aggregate their alternative energy buying needs to achieve competitive, predictable power prices for the long-term – announced its formal launch in a media conference call on May 12.

REBA aims to build momentum behind corporate renewable energy procurement, with a goal of deploying an extra 60 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar power in the United States by 2025.

The group effort is being led by four environmental advocacy organizations, including BSR (Business for Social Responsibility), Rocky Mountain Institute, World Resources Institute, and World Wildlife Fund.

More than 60 companies already have signed on to one or more of REBA’s initiatives – among them, Facebook, Invenergy, and Microsoft.

““There is real potential to expand renewable energy affordably when customers, utilities, policymakers, and developers collaborate to overcome market barriers. REBA allows us all to be more effective in a complex and rapidly changing sector,” said Letha Tawney, director of Utility Innovation at World Resources Institute. “We see innovative deals emerging between these players that unlock real value for everyone on the grid.”

Specifically, the new organization’s stated goals are to:

• Aggregate corporate purchasing demand, articulating business needs to the market, and working with utilities to develop solutions that better serve corporate buyers through World Resources Institute and World Wildlife Fund’s Renewable Energy Buyers’ Principles;
• Develop the ecosystem of solutions providers, scaling renewable energy developments, and help companies execute their renewable energy strategies through Rocky Mountain Institute’s Business Renewables Center; and
• Increase companies’ use of renewable energy within data centers by collaborating with power providers, utilities, and policymakers through BSR’s Future of Internet Power.

“We’re proud to be part of the REBA network and the movement to accelerate the transition to renewable energy,” said Brian Janous, director of Energy Strategy at Microsoft. “We are committed not only to increasing our purchase of green power, but also to working with new partners to bring even more renewable energy onto the grid where we do business.”

“At Dominion Virginia Power, we appreciate the efforts of REBA and deem their partnership invaluable in helping us respond to the renewable needs of our customers,” said Becky Merritt, vice president of Customer Service for the utility. “Their transparent discussion forums have enabled win-win renewable solutions, which is exactly what we are all striving for.”

“We have been working together in various ways for the past couple of years and this announcement represents a major milestone,” said Bill Weihl, director of Sustainability at Facebook.

The group plans its first major meeting, with 300 attendees expected, this week at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington.