A survey of US businesses has found that more than two thirds of respondents expect the federal government to be responsible for leading the renewables transition, compared to 38% which said the private sector should take a leading role.
In the survey, published by in BayWA r.e.’s Energy Report 2021, 65% of respondents cited the low cost of renewable energy options as the main driver to purchase, while 59% said they planned to increase the use of renewables, with solar being the leading option.
BayWa r.e. published the survey ahead of COP26 to offer “timely and critical insights” into how decision makers in corporate America think and act on energy policy and procurement, and the “vital role they must play” if the US is to achieve its climate goals.
“The key takeaways of the ‘Energy Report 2021’ reveal both the major gains that corporate renewables procurement has made in the US but also the serious challenges that lie ahead,” said Mike Danielson, vice president of BayWa r.e. solar projects in the Americas.
“The question remains: what do corporations need to do to get from where we are to where we need to be in order to meet the ambitious net zero carbon goals over the next decade.”
BayWa r.e. commissioned Kantar to conduct a survey of 350 US corporate decision makers to explore a series of topics crucial to the advancement of the renewables transition.
As US corporations are responsible for almost 60% of electricity demand, these organisations play an “essential role” in closing the gap between goals and reality, BayWa r.e. stated.
The survey found some organisational barriers impede companies from making further investments in renewable energy, with 38% of respondents citing a lack of internal knowledge about renewables and 33% citing a lack of expertise to evaluate options.