More information can be found in our Sustainability Summary.
Through industry-leading innovation and a commitment toward a net-zero future, we are delivering sustainable and resilient energy solutions that help drive growth and prosperity. Our greenhouse gas reduction goals are to achieve 50% reduction from 2007 levels by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050, consistent with the commitments of the Paris Agreement. Our goals are specific to Scope 1 emissions as they comprise approximately 70% of our GHG emissions profile, and we have the most direct ability to influence our emissions reduction trajectory through infrastructure transition.
Over the past five years, energy industry fundamentals have changed meaningfully, including fuel price volatility, rapid projected demand growth in our southeastern service territories, supply chain dynamics and legislative incentives, among others. As we strive to effectively meet our customers’ future needs, we continue to enhance our planning processes, which routinely consider a host of factors, including environmental impacts, safety, reliability, resilience and affordability, as well as broader social and economic community impacts. Infrastructure decisions made as part of our planning and regulatory processes impact our ongoing evaluation of Southern Company’s GHG reduction goals.
As we look to the future and aim to reach net zero by 2050, many of the factors noted above will influence the energy resource mix needed to serve customers. While the proportion of each resource may shift over time, the following key tenets remain consistent given our view of current and emerging technologies and economic attributes:
Southern Company strives to provide stakeholders with timely, accessible and transparent disclosures. In April, we published our 2023 data, including preliminary emissions data, in our Sustainability Data Table. In September, we published the final data table, which is available in PDF and Excel formats at the links below:
Sustainability Data Table
For more than five decades, Southern Company’s world-class R&D organization has led the U.S. utility industry in the research, development, funding and demonstration of innovative technologies necessary to provide clean, safe, reliable, resilient and affordable energy. The organization’s diverse research portfolio spans technology development for energy production, delivery and use, exploring a full spectrum of solutions that includes CCUS, advanced nuclear, hydrogen, fuel cells, microgrids, renewables (including tall wind) and energy storage, plus next-generation power delivery and end-use innovations. The program’s primary focus is on advancing transformational solutions for both utility and economy-wide decarbonization – delivering on Southern Company’s goal of achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2050. Our R&D organization is on the front lines developing a range of clean energy technologies that eliminate carbon emissions while delivering maximum value and benefit to customers and communities.
Our R&D organization leverages a robust and diverse research portfolio and collaborates with the U.S. government, other utilities, academia and industry on new technologies for energy production, delivery and use for a net-zero energy future. We are engaging with policymakers, investors, customers and other stakeholders to help shape an energy policy that enhances optionality across the entire energy value chain and supports the development and deployment of more carbon-free energy sources, while ensuring each state we serve retains the ability to adequately plan and deploy resources that meet the needs of citizens and communities.
We acknowledge the challenge of reaching net zero emissions and we are committed to finding solutions. Our path toward net zero includes continued coal transition, utilization of natural gas to enable fleet transition and support our customers’ direct energy needs, aggressively growing our investment in renewable energy, modernizing the grid, completing construction and bringing online the first new nuclear generating units in a generation, solving energy challenges through robust R&D, incorporating negative carbon solutions, and investing in energy efficiency for savings on both sides of the meter.
Our strategy is composed of three key pillars to drive our GHG emissions reductions:
Schedule a call with us to receive a free demo of the Net-Zero Portal and learn how we can support your organization’s net-zero goals.
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