Xcel Energy Sets Another Single-Year Record in Carbon Reduction
Cutting emissions 51%, the company is over halfway to its vision of delivering 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050
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Xcel Energy Fuel Mix 2019-2020 (Graphic: Business Wire)
The company broke its own record for a single-year drop in emissions in 2020, cutting carbon emissions company-wide by approximately six million tons, a 12% reduction over 2019 levels. That’s equivalent to taking nearly 1.2 million cars off the road for a year. In 2019,
Since 2005, the company has reduced carbon emissions by 51% as it leads the nation’s clean energy transition. Xcel Energy’s 2020 carbon reductions outpaced the industry, which is ahead of any other part of the economy. At the end of 2020, it is estimated the
“We’re making tremendous progress towards delivering on our clean energy goals,” said
Several factors contributed to the 2020 carbon reduction results.
The company added more than 800 megawatts of new wind projects in late 2019, in addition to bringing nearly 2,200 megawatts of new wind projects online in 2020. By the end of 2021,
Thanks to having more wind and solar on its system, the company recorded a 12% reduction in megawatt hours from coal and natural gas generation. To support its growing renewable energy portfolio, it is using cleaner natural gas as backup and pushing the envelope in operating its remaining coal plants to follow the wind and sun.
Xcel Energy’s two nuclear plants in
The pandemic also played a role in reducing the company’s electricity sales by an estimated 3% for the year and contributing to lower carbon emissions.
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