It’s no real surprise, but not everyone is buying into the Energy Transition or at least the C&I commitment to it.
A FuelCell Energy survey of more 1,000 U.S. citizens aged 25 years and above has revealed significant concerns regarding the environment and scepticism about climate pledges made by companies and their carbon credit purchase.
“This research gives us a snapshot of the concerns top of mind for people today as they think about the environment and energy sources,” said Mark Feasel, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for FuelCell Energy. “While some of the responses related to what would make the biggest impact on meeting energy and environmental goals were a surprise, what’s nearly universal is that there are significant concerns about the state of energy today, and the need for reliability and energy security.”
FuelCell Energy is an on-site power plant manufacturer and supplier which is also deep into hydrogen-based technology.
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Key finding from the study include:
· Majority of the respondents (78%) expressed concern that higher oil, gas and coal consumption will lead to more environmental issues
· 87% of the respondents were concerned that the Russia-Ukraine conflict will have a negative impact on energy resource pricing and availability and energy security
· Less than half (32%) of the respondents said the manufacturing industry was the greatest polluter and the same percentage felt energy production was the most concerning. Construction, transportation and agriculture were considered to be less of concern
· More than half (58%) of the respondents felt the climate pledges made by companies were empty promises and expected those to be achieved only if mandated by the government
· However, 30% of the respondents were “cautiously optimistic” about progress being made towards these goals.
· 41% believed that purchasing carbon credits was a good start for brands but they need to do more to achieve more authentic solutions
· 52% of the respondents had heard of ‘clean hydrogen’ as a fuel source, half knew what hydrogen fuel cells are and 53% were aware that hydrogen can be used in a zero-emission truck or car
The study revealed that 60% of the respondents believed that clean energy options, other than wind and solar, should be explored going forward.
A total of 31% said “better negotiations with foreign countries rich with resources” or “fracking” can contribute more to achieving the energy and environmental goals. Nearly the same percentage (32%) of the respondents said building energy storage infrastructure will contribute the most to achieving the goals.
Highlighting the issues for an energy consumer, the survey revealed that increasing reliance on renewable energy (30%) is a major concern and 25% said finding a way to transition from a hydrocarbon-based economy to a renewable energy-based economy is a major challenge.
