ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
NextEra Energy Resources believes providing energy to power our nation should have minimal impact on the environment. We generate electricity by using the wind, the sun, water, natural gas and nuclear power - clean or renewable energy. We have a responsibility to provide energy to our customers while doing so in a way that's sensitive to our environment. It's a delicate balance - and one that we're committed to maintaining. We do this during:
Project Siting and Development
• Identifying potential environmental impacts;
• Taking actions to reduce any impacts; and
• Working with federal, state and local environmental organizations.
Construction
• Seeking to have the smallest footprint on the land; and
• Working closely with community organizations, landowners and residents.
Operations
• Protecting air quality;
• Ensuring land conservation;
• Minimizing impacts on wildlife near our facilities; and
• Properly disposing of materials.
Investments
• Conducting and funding research and development in the fields of energy, energy technologies and energy sources;
• Investing in energy projects, sources, technologies and services for a clean energy future; and
• Funding and sponsoring greenhouse gas emission reduction initiatives and projects.
SUSTAINING THE FUTURE
Sustainability goes beyond simply using renewable and clean energy sources to generate electricity. It demonstrates the respect NextEra Energy Resources has for the land when we develop, build and operate our power plants - how we minimize our impact on wildlife, land and water. Our actions in this area have been acknowledged in environmental awards and recognitions.
Cleaning the Air
Our wind facilities have enabled customers who have purchased the renewable attributes to reduce 2016 emissions that would otherwise have been released into the atmosphere from other sources of power generation, including more than 29.1 million tons of carbon dioxide, 27,300 tons of sulfur dioxide and 23,000 tons of nitrogen oxide.
Protecting Our Water
Water is an important part of power generation. Sustainable energy production demands wise use of water resources. Our wind plants require no water at all to generate electricity, which makes them increasingly important in areas of the country where demands on water resources are high.
Preserving our Land
When evaluating a location for a potential wind or solar site, we look at current land use, wetlands, waterways and wildlife habitat, among other criteria. For wind energy sites, NextEra Energy Resources leases the land from farmers and ranchers.
Wildlife
We believe in protecting the plants and wildlife at our sites across the country. We conduct careful environmental assessments at all prospective wind sites to ensure projects are constructed in locations where wildlife impacts will be low. We also partner with other organizations for wildlife research.
Golden Hills North Repowering
Breathing new life into an old project - NextEra Energy Resources joined Sonoma Clean Power in repowering the Golden Hills North Wind Energy Center in California. The project removed 283 30-year-old wind turbines, replacing them with just 20 2.3-megawatt GE turbines. The site is now capable of generating even more power with twice the efficiency of the previous wind project.
This initiative breathed new life into an old project, reducing the impact on the environment and providing good jobs and meaningful economic benefits for the local economy. An affiliate of NextEra Energy Resources owns and operates the Golden Hills North Wind Project.
Advancing California’s environmental preservation – NextEra Energy Resources has contributed more than $1.7 million to date toward wildlife preservation and research and contributed approximately $500,000 when the Golden Hills North Project is operational. The investment in research will help with the continual improvement of turbine siting as well as further studies on avian populations.
Economic boost – The project created a significant economic boost for Alameda County, creating hundreds of union jobs during the construction phase and provided full-time employment opportunities. The project will provide more than $10 million in property tax benefits to Alameda County over its projected 30-year operational life. From labor and materials, to housing, health care and construction, a wide variety of local businesses benefit from the influx of economic activity.