Tag: Baltimore
District energy is key to addressing our energy and climate challenges
This short video published by the International District Energy Association showcases the important role district energy plays in a clean energy future, through job creation, cutting carbon emissions and enhancing resiliency.
Vicinity Energy Moves Closer Toward Net Zero Carbon Goal in Baltimore with Shift to 100% Carbon-Free Electricity
BALTIMORE, June 22, 2021 – Vicinity Energy, Vicinity Energy, owner of the nation’s largest portfolio of district energy systems, announces that all the electricity the company purchases for its Baltimore District operations is now carbon-free. Vicinity has entered into an agreement with Constellation, a leading competitive energy provider, to purchase Emission-Free Energy Certificates (EFECs) to match 100% of its annual Baltimore electricity use starting this year.
Vicinity Energy centrally produces and distributes steam, hot water and chilled water to over 30 million square feet of building space in Baltimore. Through a long-term supply agreement, over 50% of the steam delivered to customers is derived from zero-carbon non-fossil fuel-based renewables. This has already resulted in greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the region by 30,000 tons annually, or the equivalent of removing about 11,000 cars from Baltimore’s roads every year.
Now, the company has transitioned to purchasing 100% carbon-free electricity to run its heating and cooling operations in the city. This change is expected to eliminate approximately 6,500 metric tons of carbon emissions associated with the company’s electricity use annually, the equivalent of taking 1,415 cars off the road per year.
EFECs represent the emissions-free attributes of generating sources that do not directly emit greenhouse gases, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, or carbon dioxide. The EFECs purchased by Vicinity Energy are sourced from facilities located in the PJM Interconnection. The generation source does not emit carbon dioxide into the environment. EFECs are tracked and reported through PJM Environmental Information Services’ Generation Attribute Tracking System (GATS).
“Simply put, we can now purchase electricity generated without fossil fuels to run our Baltimore operations,” said Bill DiCroce, president and CEO of Vicinity Energy. “We have been able to source our electricity from emissions-free sources. As we enter Baltimore’s famously hot summers, this will have a significant beneficial impact on our cooling operations; slashing carbon emissions, improving air quality, and moving us tangibly toward our overall goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions across our entire business by 2050. We’re privileged to keep Baltimore residents cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and with this milestone, we can do it in an even cleaner, greener way.” “Constellation is pleased to support the sustainability goals of our customers,” said Daniel J. Verbanac, senior vice president, retail, for Constellation. “Voluntarily matching electricity supply requirements with a carbon-free power generation source encourages the use of clean, emission-free fuels, and demonstrates a commitment to the environment.”
This announcement comes on the heels of several other recent moves by Vicinity Energy to green its district energy systems, including the incorporation of renewable biogenic heating oil, as it continues on its path to net zero carbon emissions.
About Vicinity Energy
Vicinity Energy is a clean energy company that owns and operates an extensive portfolio of district energy systems across the United States. Vicinity produces and distributes reliable, clean steam, hot water, and chilled water to over 230 million square feet of building space nationwide. Vicinity continuously invests in its infrastructure and the latest technologies to accelerate the decarbonization of commercial and institutional buildings in city centers. Vicinity is committed to achieving net zero carbon across its portfolio by 2050. To learn more, visit https://www.vicinityenergy.us or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
Media Contact
Vicinity Energy
Sara DeMille
Marketing and Communications
857-955-5073
sara.demille@vicinityenergy.us
Why university energy P3 deals are on the rise
Why university energy P3 deals are on the rise
On this episode, Brian Mueller, Chief Development Officer of Vicinity Energy, discusses the rise of energy public-to-private partnerships (P3) at universities in the U.S. Brian shares why colleges and universities are turning to P3 arrangements to accelerate the development of their next generation energy systems – and why this makes a lot of good sense.
About Crossroads: The Infrastructure Podcast
Crossroads is a podcast from the Inframation editorial team exploring the latest news and trends in the acquisition of infrastructure operational assets and companies. Established in 2002, Inframation is dedicated to the global infrastructure finance market, covering greenfield, brownfield and refinancing transactions. Hosted by Jon Berke, the editor of Inframation, Americas, the podcast explores topics ranging from commercial real estate to project finance and infrastructure funds.
Green Ribbon Commission Climate Action Exchange
Decarbonizing Boston’s district energy systems
On May 6, 2021, the Green Ribbon Commission hosted a virtual event to explore potential decarbonization pathways for Boston’s district energy systems, key challenges and opportunities, and how the State, City and large customers can be partners in supporting those pathways.
As owner and operator of one of the largest of these district energy systems in Boston, Vicinity is actively working to achieve 2050 carbon neutrality alongside the City. In this video clip, panelist Bill DiCroce, President and CEO of Vicinity Energy discusses Vicinity’s roadmap to decarbonization and how the company is partnering with the City to achieve a net zero carbon future.
Vicinity Energy Extends 20 Year District Energy Contract with Mercy Medical Center, Including Steam Infrastructure Improvements and Chilled Water Service Expansion
BALTIMORE, March 30, 2021 – Vicinity Energy, owner of the nation’s largest portfolio of district energy systems, has extended its contract with Mercy Medical Center into the next 20 years. The agreement will build upon the nearly 60-year relationship between both organizations by combining three existing Vicinity steam contracts under a single agreement, implementing improvements to existing steam infrastructure, and significantly expanding chilled water service to the medical campus.
One of the top hospitals in Maryland, Mercy Medical Center’s relationship with Vicinity’s robust district energy system dates back to 1963. Vicinity historically supplied 32,500 pounds per hour of steam to the entire campus and 425 tons of chilled water for the Weinberg Building annually. With this new contract, Vicinity will now supply the Mercy campus with a total of 1,725 tons of chilled water per year from its central chilled water system, quadrupling the cooling output and bringing Mercy Medical Center’s buildings under a single chilled water and steam agreement. Vicinity will also perform annual preventive maintenance for Mercy’s steam mechanical rooms. Vicinity will tie the district chilled water into Mercy’s existing chilled water facility to keep both resources available for added redundancy to the hospital.
Beginning in January 2021, the project consolidation will dramatically improve system efficiency for the Medical Center by reducing energy costs and decreasing annual maintenance spend. The project is expected to be completed in August 2021 and will include the relocation and replacement of 900 feet of steam piping along Saratoga Street from Charles to Calvert. Vicinity will also be expanding and extending its chilled water system 550 feet east along Saratoga Street to serve Mercy and future customers in this section of Baltimore. The upgrade and replacement of existing steam mains and the addition of new chilled water piping will also bring street beautification along the Saratoga Street to Calvert Street, with road repaving and aesthetic improvements to public spaces.
“Now, more than ever, hospitals and medical facilities require 24/7 energy to ensure that their mission-critical operations will continue uninterrupted,” said Bill DiCroce, president and CEO of Vicinity Energy. “With interconnected central facilities, back-up generation and multiple water and fuel sources, our district energy systems’ built-in redundancy directly addresses this need and delivers the reliability that hospitals and our communities depend upon. We are proud to continue our relationship with Mercy Medical Center by providing sustainable thermal energy that supports the lifesaving work of its physicians and staff.”
“Vicinity has been a reliable long-term partner for well over a half century and we are excited to be extending our relationship with them, while also ensuring long-term energy resilience and cost savings for the hospital,” said Dr. David N. Maine, president and CEO of Mercy Health Services, Mercy Medical Center. “The steam and chilled water services that Vicinity Energy provides are crucial to the operational efficiency of our hospital and support our mission to provide excellent and compassionate clinical care to all citizens of Baltimore,” said Robert Beckwith, vice president of support services and construction at Mercy Medical Center.
District energy harnesses the power of a centrally located facility to generate cost-effective steam and hot and chilled water that yields greater efficiency, reliability and carbon reductions over conventional generation, such as onsite boilers or chillers. In Baltimore, over 50 percent of the steam delivered to customers is generated through renewables—resulting in reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 30,000 tons annually. The downtown Baltimore business corridor is also supplied with reliable central chilled water services, supported by one of the largest ice thermal storage systems in the country.
About Vicinity Energy
Vicinity Energy is a clean energy company that owns and operates an extensive portfolio of district energy systems across the United States. Vicinity produces and distributes reliable, clean steam, hot water, and chilled water to over 230 million square feet of building space nationwide. Vicinity continuously invests in its infrastructure and the latest technologies to accelerate the decarbonization of commercial and institutional buildings in city centers. Vicinity is committed to achieving net zero carbon across its portfolio by 2050. To learn more, visit https://www.vicinityenergy.us or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
About Mercy Medical Center
Founded in 1874 in downtown Baltimore by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Medical Center is a 183-licensed bed acute care university-affiliated teaching hospital. Mercy has been recognized as a top Maryland hospital by U.S. News & World Report; a Top 100 hospital for Women’s Health & Orthopedics by Healthgrades; is currently A-rated for Hospital Safety (Leapfrog Group), and is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet Hospital. Mercy Medical Center is part of Mercy Health Services (MHS), the parent of Mercy’s primary care and specialty care physician enterprise, known as Mercy Personal Physicians, which employs more than 200 providers with locations in Baltimore, Lutherville, Overlea, Glen Burnie, Columbia and Reisterstown. For more information about Mercy, visit www.mdmercy.com, MDMercyMedia on Facebook, Twitter, or call 1-800-MD-Mercy.
Media Contact
Vicinity Energy
Sara DeMille
Marketing and Communications
857-955-5073
sara.demille@vicinityenergy.us
Vicinity Energy Provides Green Steam to Walters Art Museum Under New 20-Year Contract, Delivering Heat and Precise Humidification to Historic Buildings and Artifacts
BALTIMORE, March 3, 2021 – Vicinity Energy, owner of the nation’s largest portfolio of district energy systems, announces a 20-year steam contract with Walters Art Museum to provide heating and humidification to the landmark Baltimore facility, which encompasses 70,000 square feet of space. With 50 percent of its steam generated from renewables, the district energy system will deliver high-pressure sustainable steam for the museum, replacing the facility’s current boiler setup.
Walters Art Museum will receive approximately 12,000 pounds of steam per hour (pph), replacing its traditional boiler system and transitioning its two existing functional boilers to provide back-up energy as needed. Vicinity is funding the connection to the district system, resulting in zero up-front capital costs to the museum, enabling Walters to reallocate capital funds to support exhibits and other core offerings. Completion of the project is anticipated by April 2021.
“In order to preserve the historic artifacts housed in the Walters Art Museum, our buildings must meet precise humidification requirements. The reliability of district energy, in addition to its ability to meet the specifications of the museum’s exhibitions while also reducing our carbon footprint, makes Vicinity an excellent solution for Walters’s energy needs,” said Julia Marciari-Alexander, who serves as the Andrea B. and John H. Laporte Director.
In addition to providing the museum with steam, Vicinity Energy has committed to a long-term 20-year sponsorship of the Walters – underscoring Vicinity’s commitment to the city of Baltimore, its cultural artifacts, history and communities. Currently, Vicinity provides low-carbon district energy to 30 million square feet of buildings in Baltimore, reducing the region’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by 30,000 tons. As Vicinity advances its net zero carbon plan across all its operations, customers will continue to receive greener energy solutions as a result.
“Through renewable energy use and ongoing greening efforts, Vicinity’s district energy system provides immense opportunity to deliver greener, more reliable energy alternatives to Baltimore facilities, while dramatically reducing their carbon footprint,” said Bill DiCroce, president and CEO of Vicinity Energy. “We’re proud to be the long-term energy partner of such an important Baltimore institution as the Walters Art Museum and deliver reliable heating and the humidification required to preserve the city’s precious cultural artifacts.”
About Vicinity Energy
Vicinity Energy is a clean energy company that owns and operates an extensive portfolio of district energy systems across the United States. Vicinity produces and distributes reliable, clean steam, hot water, and chilled water to over 230 million square feet of building space nationwide. Vicinity continuously invests in its infrastructure and the latest technologies to accelerate the decarbonization of commercial and institutional buildings in city centers. Vicinity is committed to achieving net zero carbon across its portfolio by 2050. To learn more, visit https://www.vicinityenergy.us or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
Media Contact
Vicinity Energy
Sara DeMille
Marketing and Communications
857-955-5073
sara.demille@vicinityenergy.us
A high energy conversation with Bill DiCroce
Dynamic districts, January 2021
by Energy Cast | Episode 105
In this episode of Energy Cast, host Jay Dauenhauer sits down with CEO, president and chairman Bill DiCroce from Vicinity Energy. Bill shares his thoughts on district energy networks, underscoring Vicinity’s pledge to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and how the company and district energy is uniquely positioned to rapidly expand and deploy renewable strategies and energy sources to local cities and communities.
About Energy Cast
Energy cast is a podcast about the energy sector, with particular focus on business, policy and economic issues. Hosted by Jay Dauenhauer, each episode examines a facet of the energy sector – coal, oil/gas, nuclear, biofuels, battery, geothermal, hydro, wind, solar, and fusion – and the opportunities and challenges of bringing these technologies to the energy mix. As host of the Energy Cast Podcast for the past four years, Jay Dauenhauer, CSM, PMP, has an extensive energy background, including previously serving as a media analyst for TXU Energy and Executive Director of the Clean Coal Technology Foundation of Texas, working with stakeholders to pass clean energy legislation for the state.
Vicinity Energy Commits to Reaching Net Zero Carbon Emissions for all Operations by 2050
BOSTON, October 22, 2020 – Vicinity Energy, the nation’s largest district energy provider, announces its plan to reach net zero carbon emissions for all of its operations by 2050.
Vicinity Energy provides heat, hot water, cooling, chilled water, sterilization and humidification to over 230 million square feet (nearly eight square miles) of customer facilities in major cities across the United States. For more than 50 years, Vicinity has adapted and innovated to deploy cleaner energy technologies and strategies as they’ve become available – helping to reduce the carbon impact in cities like Cambridge, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Kansas City. In this next phase of its long-term energy vision, the company will continue to introduce renewables into its fuel supply mix and integrate large- and small-scale combined heat and power (CHP) resources to increase the efficiency of its district energy systems.
By building on this foundation to achieve net zero carbon emissions, Vicinity is clearly focused on a greener, cleaner, more sustainable future. Key strategies in the plan include:
- Utilizing biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels
- Electrifying generation to further reduce carbon emissions as the grid gets greener
- Investing in efficiency projects and district infrastructure
- Engineering microgrid and distributed energy solutions that leverage biofuel-capable CHP systems to improve resiliency
- Purchasing renewable electricity for Vicinity plants and auxiliary assets
- Exploring other innovative technologies, such as renewable natural gas, battery storage, hydrogen, CO2-based dispatch, and more.
By formalizing its commitment, the company will continue to provide 99.99% reliable, resilient services with a lower carbon footprint at highly competitive prices in relation to other energy alternatives.
“Our goal is to preserve the environment for future generations and ensure that energy remains affordable to our customers so they can continue to put their dollars toward mission-critical core operations. As clean energy technologies continue to evolve, our team is dedicated to leading the transition to a net zero carbon future by innovating, adapting quickly to renewable strategies and developing opportunities to green our system,” said Bill DiCroce, Vicinity President and CEO. “Together with our employees and strong local partners, we will reach this goal by 2050 so that our communities can thrive in a much greener future.”
Currently, Vicinity eliminates more than 500,000 tons of CO2 annually from its operations, the equivalent of taking 110,000 cars off the road. Vicinity’s new Clean Energy Future is intended to reduce an additional 1.7 million tons of carbon across the 12 major cities where it operates, which means reducing emissions by an additional 55,000 tons every year to reach net zero carbon by 2050.
The immediate next step in the plan includes incorporating biofuels in select district energy facilities, starting this winter. For more detailed information, read the complete Vicinity Clean Energy Future.
About Vicinity Energy
Vicinity Energy is a clean energy company that owns and operates an extensive portfolio of district energy systems across the United States. Vicinity produces and distributes reliable, clean steam, hot water, and chilled water to over 230 million square feet of building space nationwide. Vicinity continuously invests in its infrastructure and the latest technologies to accelerate the decarbonization of commercial and institutional buildings in city centers. Vicinity is committed to achieving net zero carbon across its portfolio by 2050. To learn more, visit https://www.vicinityenergy.us or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
Media Contact
Vicinity Energy
Sara DeMille
Marketing and Communications
857-955-5073
sara.demille@vicinityenergy.us
Vicinity Energy is Now the Largest Provider of District Energy Solutions in North America
BOSTON, Massachusetts – Antin Infrastructure Partners has, today, finalized its purchase of Veolia North America’s district energy assets in the United States. Now officially named Vicinity Energy, the district energy business is comprised of steam, hot and chilled water and electricity production plants, including cogeneration, across 13 networks in 10 major cities. As its first big energy acquisition in the U.S., Antin, a global infrastructure fund, has expanded its presence in the district energy market to own the largest platform in North America.
With over 50+ years in the district energy business, Vicinity Energy may have a new name and brand, but its current leadership team and experienced engineers, operators and energy experts will largely remain the same as part of the terms of the sale. With the financial backing of Antin, Vicinity is poised for growth while continuing to deliver upon its commitment to customers: to safely meet their mission-critical energy needs by providing cutting-edge technical expertise, dedicated personal service, infrastructure and investments so they’re able to focus resources and capital on achieving their core business objectives.
“In a carbon-neutral future, growth will be determined by the kinds of energy partners whose expertise can enable local governments, companies and institutions alike to meet their sustainability goals, while also ensuring the vitality and resilience of energy infrastructure in a savvy and customized way,” said William DiCroce, president and chief executive officer of Vicinity Energy. “Through our employees’ unmatched engineering, operations and technological expertise, Vicinity will continue to advance sophisticated technologies and energy services that meet our customers’ needs in today’s rapidly evolving energy landscape, while ensuring that they have the reliable, cost-effective, resilient and environmentally responsible energy they need to thrive.”
About Vicinity Energy
Vicinity Energy is a clean energy company that owns and operates an extensive portfolio of district energy systems across the United States. Vicinity produces and distributes reliable, clean steam, hot water, and chilled water to over 230 million square feet of building space nationwide. Vicinity continuously invests in its infrastructure and the latest technologies to accelerate the decarbonization of commercial and institutional buildings in city centers. Vicinity is committed to achieving net zero carbon across its portfolio by 2050. To learn more, visit https://www.vicinityenergy.us or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
Media Contact
Vicinity Energy
Sara DeMille
Marketing and Communications
857-955-5073
sara.demille@vicinityenergy.us
