Company Description
Exelon was named to the Climate Leadership Index 2006 (CLI) by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) in its recently issued report on corporate carbon disclosure. The CLI informs investors about which of the Financial Times Global 500 (FT 500) companies have the most comprehensive climate change disclosure practices based on responses to a CDP questionnaire. Fifty companies were named to the CLI from the FT500 companies who responded to the questionnaire worldwide. This marks the second consecutive year Exelon was named to the CLI. Exelon was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes’ (DJSI) North America Index in 2006. DJSI are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. DJSI North America Index represents the top 20% in each sector of the largest 600 North American companies.
CEO: John W. Rowe; Revenues: $19.24 Billion (2010); Employees: 19,214 (2010).
Statements on Climate Change
“At Exelon, we accept that the science of global warming is overwhelming. We accept that limitations on greenhouse gases emissions will prove necessary. Until those limitations are adopted, we believe that business should take voluntary action to begin the transition to a lower carbon future.” - John W. Rowe, President and CEO, Exelon Corporation Read a speech (pdf ) from CEO John Rowe at US Climate Policy: Toward a Sensible Center, a dialogue co-sponsored by C2ES and the Brookings Institution held June 24-25, 2004. Climate Change Targets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Leaders program . The company committed to reduce its GHG emissions by eight percent below 2001 levels by year-end 2008, and it far surpassed this goal by reducing emissions by more than 35% by 2009. It has set a new goal of reducing, offsetting, or displacing more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2020.
Climate and Energy Strategies
Technology Solutions (C2ES's Climate Techbook Factsheets)
Relevant Links: Exelon Company Web Site, Exelon Environment Web Site , 2010 Exelon Corporation Environmental Performance Report , Exelon 2020 Roadmap
short description:
Exelon is one of the largest electric and gas companies in the United States.
Energy Efficiency Initiatives
Success Stories Summary:
In 2008, Exelon’s focus on its own energy usage yielded projects and process changes resulting in reductions of almost 12 million kilo-watt hours annually.
Cross-Cutting summary:
The Exelon companies have continued to implement a wide range of initiatives to educate customers and reach out to the communities we serve. ComEd (an Exelon subsidiary) sponsored the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. Launched in 2008, the 12 Ways to Green year-long campaign raised awareness about energy efficiency and ComEd’s environmental initiatives. In 2009, ComEd will expand its efforts to focus on long-term energy and cost savings for customers as well as the related environmental impact of efficiency measures. Additionally, ComEd’s Smart Ideas For Your Home program launched in June 2008 to provide residential customers incentives, tools and tips to help them save money, become more energy efficient and help the environment. A primary focus for ComEd’s education efforts includes the promotion of its website. ComEd.com features easy access to program information and other tools such as the on-line Energy Home Energy Analysis Tool, the on-line Energy Store, the “Showcase of Homes” and “Ask the Energy Doctor.” PECO (an Exelon subsidiary), in partnership with The Franklin Institute’s Center for Innovation in Science Learning and the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project, has developed an environmental education program for middle schools. The program focuses on the sources, uses and conservation of energy and includes a classroom component, a school energy audit, a home energy audit kit, a field trip to a generation facility and a grant for a project in the school community. In 2009, PECO piloted the program at six area middle schools; in 2010, the pilot will expand to include at least 10 schools. PECO has also formed a partnership with Energy Star to provide consumers with more energy saving tools through the company’s website. Other programs include EnergySaver kits and high efficiency heat pump rebate programs. In 2008, Exelon Generation opened the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) -silver certified Exelon Renewable Energy Education Center at its landfill gas electricity generating facility in Fairless Hills, Penn. This facility features information on conservation and renewable energy technologies and provides a variety of educational resources; similar enhancements are planned for the Conowingo Hydroelectric Visitor Center.
Internal Operations summary:
Exelon’s Environmental Strategy Energy Efficiency Team supports 74 Exelon Energy Delivery (EED) facilities and 8,200 employees. The team is charged with improving efficiency at EED facilities by 3 percent per year in 2003-2007. Exelon is expanding the program to other facilities. Exelon’s strategy includes a budget for collateral materials, facility benchmarking and energy audits, efficiency retrofits and a multiyear communications plan focused on employees. For 2004, EED reduced energy consumption by 7 million kilowatt hours (kWh) compared to the 2002 baseline. Normalizing the data based on 30-year averages and the current year heating and cooling degree-days resulted in an improvement of 4 percent in 2003 and 3.8 percent in 2004, thus exceeding the goal each year. In 2008, Exelon’s focus on its own energy usage yielded projects and process changes resulting in a reduction of close to 12 million kWh annually. Efficient Generating Facilities: Exelon Generation has achieved a 5 percent reduction in energy use through a variety of projects that have included replacing more than 5,700 lights, installing more than 160 office occupancy sensors, lowering water heater settings and shutting down electronic equipment at the end of the day. In 2008, Exelon replaced the lighting system in the administrative offices at its Fairless Hills, PA landfill gas electric generating plant. This change will reduce annual energy use by more than 70 percent, while more than doubling the light output in the plant. Current plans call for additional air conditioning and lighting system improvements at five facilities, among them the Cantera Nuclear headquarters and the Kennett Square offices of Generation and Power Team. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification Efforts: Exelon is conforming to LEED criteria at sites where it is economically sound to do so. Exelon currently has three LEED-certified facilities: its Chicago Chase Tower headquarters (the largest commercial office renovation to gain LEED Platinum certification), Exelon Generation’s Renewable Energy Education Center in Fairless Hills, Penn. and PECO’s West Chester service building.In Illinois, Exelon Nuclear completed the construction of a new administration building at Clinton Nuclear Power Station that employs day lighting, low-flow fixtures and efficient heating and cooling systems. Nuclear expects to earn LEED certification for it in 2009. Exelon has also applied for LEED certification for a building at the Clinton Nuclear Power Station and will seek certification of five additional buildings or projects later this year. Exelon is also working on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its vehicle fleet. In 2008, Exelon incorporated efficient hybrid-electric and alternative-fuel vehicles in internal operations. Exelon also introduced new vehicle guidelines to maximize fuel efficiency and reduce fleet emissions over time.
Products & Services summary:
ComEd (an Exelon subsidiary) offers financial incentives for large commercial, institutional and industrial customers to use customized curtailment plans, contributing 1,000 megawatt reduction to system peak loads. PECO (an Exelon subsidiary) has three ‘Smart Returns’ products: (1) active load management (ALM), in which participating customers must reduce energy consumption within one hour of PECO’s request, designed to respond to emergency events within the regional transmission organization, (2) voluntary load reduction, in which customers receive a one hour notification to curtail consumption and share in a percent of PECO’s cost savings, and (3) voluntary Economic and Emergency Load Response Programs, which provide an additional Smart Returns choice for potential load response customers. In 2006, ComEd’s demand response portfolio represented half of the potential peak load reduction in the PJM regional transmission organization. More than 600 ComEd customers participate in the utility’s “Real-Time Pricing Programs” that provide hourly pricing information and bills them for the power they consume based on hourly market prices, which can lead to system-wide energy savings. In 2004, Exelon conducted a benchmark study evaluating energy efficiency opportunities such as lighting retrofits and solar domestic water heating for the city’s firehouses; completed lighting retrofits at several Transit Authority and City Colleges of Chicago facilities, including bus garages, repair shops, classrooms, laboratories, gymnasiums and swimming pools.
Supply Chain summary:
Exelon was the first U.S.-based utility to join the Carbon Disclosure Project ’s Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration. As part of its "Exelon 2020 strategy", the company is asking its top suppliers to voluntarily disclose information on their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption. As one of the founders of the Electric Utility Industry Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance (EUISSCA) , Exelon is working to improve environmental performance in electric utility industry supply chains. This includes the development of voluntary, consensus-based standards for evaluating the environmental attributes of key materials (such as poles, wires and transformers) and services provided to the electric utility industry. It also includes standards for the environmental performance of both suppliers to the electric utility industry and the electric utilities’ internal supply chain operations. Using EUISSCA standards as a guide, Exelon has integrated environmental criteria into its sourcing process. The company now evaluates the environmental performance of prospective suppliers and encourages them to propose innovative solutions for reducing Exelon’s carbon footprint. In December 2008, Exelon joined the Green Suppliers Network program as a Corporate Champion and committed to sponsor five of its suppliers through a “lean and clean” assessment in 2009. Exelon is working to reduce the environmental impacts of its supply chain by greening its warehouse operations and optimizing logistics. The company avoided 105,000 metric tons of GHG emissions and generated nearly $20 million in revenues in 2008 by recycling or re-using more than 30 million pounds of scrap metal and other solid material and 700,000 gallons of oil. Exelon introduced reusable pallet boxes and significantly reduced its use of standard packaging materials. In addition, the company is installing more efficient lights and motion sensors in its warehouses, and optimizing delivery routes and order quantities to reduce vehicle trips.
Exelon is a member of the Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC), the largest U.S.-based association of companies dedicated to business and policy solutions to climate change. Exelon is one of the nation’s largest electric and gas energy companies with more than $15 billion in annual revenues. It distributes electricity to more than 5.2 million customers in Illinois and Pennsylvania, and natural gas to approximately 472,000 customers in southeastern Pennsylvania.
BELC Abstracts
Electricity Abstract:
Exelon is a member of the Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC), the largest U.S.-based association of companies dedicated to business and policy solutions to climate change. Exelon is one of the nation’s largest electric and gas energy companies with more than $15 billion in annual revenues. It distributes electricity to more than 5.2 million customers in Illinois and Pennsylvania, and natural gas to approximately 472,000 customers in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Residential & Commercial Abstract:
Exelon is a member of the Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC), the largest U.S.-based association of companies dedicated to business and policy solutions to climate change. Exelon is one of the nation’s largest electric and gas energy companies with more than $15 billion in annual revenues. It distributes electricity to more than 5.2 million customers in Illinois and Pennsylvania, and natural gas to approximately 472,000 customers in southeastern Pennsylvania.
