Xcel Energy commits to natural gas net-zero carbon goal by 2050
Xcel Energy announced that it is aiming to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from its natural gas business by 2050. In addition to its vision to provide 100% carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050, Xcel Energy is committing to become an overall net-zero energy company by 2050, while keeping service reliable and customer bills low.
Xcel Energy is the only major U.S. energy provider to announce a comprehensive vision with aggressive goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions across three major sectors of the economy: electricity, natural gas use in buildings and transportation.
“Our vision for delivering net-zero energy by 2050 is an important evolution in our clean energy leadership,” said Bob Frenzel, president and CEO of Xcel Energy. “We’ve expanded our commitment to deliver clean energy across all the ways we power customers’ lives, while keeping our service reliable and affordable. These efforts will promote innovation, provide customers with even more new energy options and significantly reduce emissions.”
To boldly go where no major energy provider has gone before
This new clean natural gas commitment builds on Xcel Energy’s 2018 vision to deliver 100% carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050, with an interim goal of reducing emissions 80% by 2030. In 2020, the company pledged to power 1.5 million electric vehicles in the eight states it serves by 2030.
Now, Xcel Energy aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from its natural gas system by 2050 which includes:
- Delivering net-zero gas service by 2050, with a goal to cut emissions 25% by 2030
- Purchasing natural gas only from suppliers with certified low emissions and continuing to improve the company’s natural gas delivery system to achieve net-zero methane emissions by 2030.
- Offering customers new and expanded programs to reduce carbon emissions from their own natural gas use. Those programs will include support for both conserving natural gas and others that will encourage the use of electric appliances and low carbon gas alternatives, including hydrogen and renewable natural gas.
Under Xcel Energy’s clean energy goals combined, the company expects to reduce nearly 80 million tons of carbon by 2030, equivalent to the carbon removed by nearly 1.2 billion trees. We are more than halfway to that goal, having reduced carbon emissions by more than 40 million tons since 2005.
Read Xcel Energy’s Clean Energy Highlights and Natural Gas Report for more information on the company’s goals and read what others are saying about this latest commitment as part of Xcel Energy's clean energy strategy.
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