Two studies commissioned by Vestas show 67% of U.S. consumers prefer renewable energy among all energy sources. Also, 51% of American consumers would be more willing to buy brands for products made with renewable energy, while corporations are continuing to show preference for investing in renewables.
This chart shows how customer perception is expected to be influenced by a company’s use of wind energy.
The Corporate Renewable Energy Index Report (CREX) 2012 conducted by Bloomberg New Energy Finance in which 389 companies participated worldwide, showed 49% of U.S. consumers prefer the amount of energy from fossil fuels decreases over the next five years while 78% prefer an increase in renewables over the same time period.
Meanwhile, the Global Consumer Wind Study 2012, produced by TNS Gallup, revealed 44% of U.S. consumers surveyed perceive climate change as one of the top five challenges facing the world today. Further, 74% of respondents indicated increased use of renewable energy is a good solution.
“The evidence presented by the surveys is extremely encouraging, clearly showing that consumers are demanding more renewable energy in the grid and are showing a willingness to pay a premium price for products made with renewable energy,” said Morten Albaek, senior vice president of marketing, communication and corporate relations at Vestas.
U.S. corporations are helping lead the way to a better energy future. U.S. companies participating in the CREX study have increased renewable energy as a percentage of total electricity consumption from 8% in 2009 to 10% in 2011.
Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Intel Corporation, Alcoa, Kohl’s, and Microsoft are the corporations in the index consuming the most renewable energy. This accounts for a combined total of nearly 29 terawatt hours — the equivalent electricity consumption of Utah in 2011. In addition, 21 corporations, including Kohl’s, Whole Foods Market, Adobe Systems, and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, powered their businesses 100% with renewable electricity.
“Corporations are part of the solution toward meeting the world’s rapidly rising demand for energy without increasing dangerous carbon emissions,” Albaek said. “The trend of private companies investing in renewable energy is very positive.”
To help spread the message about this comprehensive third-party evidence, Vestas launched the 2012 Energy Transparency campaign to increase visibility of consumers’ energy preferences globally and influencing companies’ energy procurement, while at the same time helping shape the world’s future energy mix.
The campaign kicked off in Rio De Janerio in August and London. There also will be events in Frankfurt and Sydney. The full reports on CREX and GWCS can be downloaded at www.energytransparency.com.
Vestas
www.vestas.com
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