Stocks & Investing
Stocks and Investing
Stocks and Investing 
Tue, June 1, 2010
Con Edison Sustainability Report: Emissions Plunge 36 Percent Since 2005
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - June 1, 2010) - Con Edison's greenhouse gas emissions plunged 36 percent, or by about 2.4 million tons, between 2005 and 2009, mainly due to the use of cleaner burning fuels and reliability upgrades at company steam plants and substations, according to the company's 2009 Sustainability Report, now available at [ www.coned.com/sustainability ].
The greening of Con Edison's automotive fleet also contributed; more than 40 percent of vehicles currently use alternative-energy technology.
The report highlights Con Edison's new sustainability strategy, which includes a goal to achieve at least a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
"Con Edison has a sustainability strategy mapped for the next decade," said company Environment, Health and Safety Vice President Randolph S. Price. "The achievable goals and strategies we've established will make customers and our own operations more energy efficient through innovation, clean energy solutions, and aggressive implementation programs. We will continue to reduce our own environmental footprint, as well as that of our customers."
The company is offering customers cash rebates or incentives for upgrading to high-efficiency air conditioners, heating systems, boilers and water heaters. Small businesses can take advantage of free energy audits and get substantial rebates for making major upgrades.
The company's Power of Green program ([ www.conEd.com/powerofgreen ]) continues to inform people about saving energy, and its Power of Green Web pages, which educated nearly 100,000 people last year, has a newly-launched Power of Green Facebook page, offering information about green partnerships, energy-saving tips, and the company's new energy efficiency programs.
Consider that:
- With150 new hybrid vehicles, Automotive Fleet magazine ranked the New York-based utility 11th among 2009's Top 50 Corporate Green Fleets.
- More than 65 miles of gas mains and 4,800 gas services were replaced in 2009 to minimize line loss emissions.
- White roofs are atop 20 company buildings, reflecting sunlight and lowering hot-day temps, reducing cooling needs, and lowering CO2 emissions. As part of a partnership with the city's NYC Cool program, Con Edison plans to replace 156,000 square feet of traditional dark roofing with cool, white roofing.
Con Edison recycled more than 59,000 tons of waste in 2009, more than 90 percent of all of its non-hazardous waste generated. The company also recently underwent a rigorous third party verification of its greenhouse gas emissions to verify accurate accounting of the reductions.
In addition, Con Edison began piloting a smart grid project in 2009 that will allow real-time information exchange between customers and utilities, making customers more aware about their energy consumption, and helping utilities to quickly identify and isolate problems. The smart grid also will eventually be able to integrate renewable energy inputs, service electric-vehicle charging stations, and help to maintain reliable energy delivery.
The utility's 2009 accolades include a number one global ranking in the Carbon Disclosure Project's first-time measurement of companies' climate change performance, a Northeast region ReliabilityOne award for electric service delivery, and listings in Hispanic Business and Latina Style magazines for leadership in diversity and as one of the best companies to work for, respectively.
Consolidated Edison, Inc. (
Con Edison is a Dow Jones Sustainability Index company, and has been recognized for its environmental performance by the global Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, and other organizations. Visit our green site at [ www.conEd.com/thepowerofgreen/ ], or find us on Facebook at [ Power of Green ].