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.
Tag: Philadelphia
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 Implements Renewable Biogenic Heating Oil, Transforming Food Waste into Energy and Creating Jobs
PHILADELPHIA, April 13, 2021 – Vicinity Energy, owner of the nation’s largest portfolio of district energy systems, announces it has signed a long-term fuel supply agreement with Lifecycle Renewables, a Boston-based firm that produces LR100™, a unique biogenic fuel derived from waste vegetable oil and fats discarded by the food service industry. The partnership will provide Vicinity with expanded access to this clean, renewable fuel to replace conventional fossil fuel oil in its district energy facilities, a milestone in the company’s roadmap to reach net zero carbon by 2050. The partnership also enables the immediate expansion of Lifecycle’s operations in Philadelphia, creating local jobs and supporting economic growth.
Vicinity Energy centrally produces and distributes steam, hot water and chilled water to over 230 million square feet (nearly eight square miles) of building space nationwide. Now, in partnership with Lifecycle Renewables, Vicinity will begin to integrate LR100™ across each of its facilities over time. Permits have already been acquired and the biogenic fuel tested in Philadelphia, with implementation in Boston on the immediate horizon and other districts to follow. A truly circular solution, the wastes discarded by the local food service industry will now be used to heat and cool businesses and institutions in the same city.
The benefits of transitioning to LR100™ include:
- Significantly reducing Vicinity’s distillate fuel use, cutting carbon emissions by 12,200 tons, or the equivalent of removing 2,650 cars from Philadelphia’s roads each year
- Recycling 600,000 gallons of food service industry waste oil (the average person consumes approximately 1.5 gallons of oil a year) into energy, that would otherwise be discarded in landfills or city sewers
- Expanding Lifecycle Renewables’ operations in Philadelphia, resulting in job creation, recycling programs and cost savings for local restaurants, and sustainability benefits for the community
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 80% versus distillate fuel, improving local air quality through reductions in nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and particulate emissions compared to traditional heavy fuel oils
“Vicinity is excited to partner with Lifecycle Renewables to accelerate our shared mission to reduce the carbon footprint of the communities we serve and deliver sustainable, local and circular energy solutions to our customers in support of nationwide carbon reduction goals,” said Bill DiCroce, president and CEO of Vicinity Energy. “Lifecycle Renewables has a proven record of delivering renewable heating oil that aligns with our Clean Energy Future roadmap, and we’re proud to move forward with this biogenic fuel supply agreement to support a cleaner, healthier environment.”
“We chose to partner with Vicinity because they are the most forward-thinking district energy company in the nation,” said Rory Gaunt, president and CEO of Lifecycle Renewables. “Their ambitious march towards net zero carbon emissions provides Lifecycle Renewables an opportunity to have a positive environmental impact on hundreds of millions of square feet of building space where our fellow Americans live, work, and play. We look forward to growing our partnership in response to Vicinity’s increased demand for our renewable fuel. Our team is energized by the opportunity to supply renewable heating oil to Vicinity, as they continue on the path to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
About Lifecycle Renewables
Lifecycle Renewables is an integrated food waste recycling and renewable fuels company. Using recycled waste oils and fats from the food service industry, Lifecycle Renewables produces LR100™, a renewable heating oil. LR100™ is a drop-in fuel for oil-capable facilities that competitively replaces fossil fuels. Environmental authorities consider LR100™ to be carbon-neutral, and users of the fuel realize significant emissions reductions. With focus on providing the highest quality service to our restaurant and food-production partners, Lifecycle Renewables seeks to create closed-loop waste-to-energy solutions for cities across America. Lifecycle Renewables is now serving restaurants in New England, Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. Learn more at: lifecyclerenewables.com
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 Secures 20-Year Contract to Provide Heat and Hot Water to America’s Oldest Theatre
PHILADELPHIA, December 16, 2020: Vicinity Energy, owner of the nation’s largest portfolio of district energy systems, has secured a 20-year steam contract with Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre, America’s oldest continuously operating theatre. This new heat and hot water agreement expands upon the longstanding working relationship between the two organizations and is a key element of Walnut Street’s $39 million theatre expansion.
Planned to be completed in 2022, the “Future Lives Here” project is aimed at continuing the theatre’s mission of serving the community through storytelling, education and entertainment. Vicinity will supply 3,710 Mlbs of steam annually to deliver both heating and domestic hot water for the existing facility and 35,000-square-foot addition. The expansion includes a fully renovated lobby and box office, additional space for its growing education programs, two state-of-the-art rehearsal halls, a 400-seat theatre-in-the-round (the first of its kind in the region), and a restaurant.
Walnut Street Theatre has been a cornerstone of the city’s arts and performance community since 1809, and Vicinity Energy has been supplying the theatre with thermal energy for over 30 years. With well-established locally managed energy facilities powered by sustainable combined heat and power (CHP) and renewable energy, Vicinity supplies heating and cooling to over 400 buildings in the Philadelphia area with 99.99% reliability. The company actively works to reduce carbon emissions, participating in the Greenworks of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Energy Authority’s Energy campaign. Through Vicinity’s Clean Energy Future – a formalized commitment, vision and roadmap to achieve net zero carbon by 2050 – Vicinity is helping to create a cleaner, greener environment in Philadelphia for generations to come.
“District energy is all about providing local solutions to address the global demand for energy sustainability, affordability and reliability. Vicinity is proud to provide first-class service, especially to an historic landmark and vibrant part of Philadelphia’s culture like Walnut Street Theatre. We have a strong commitment to the communities that we serve, and are looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership with Walnut Street Theatre and the city of Philadelphia,” said Bill DiCroce, Vicinity CEO.
“Reliable service is essential in operating the Walnut Street Theatre, America’s oldest theatre. We chose Vicinity to meet today’s modern demands in operating our National Historic Landmark because of their outstanding track record and dedication to the community,” said Mark D. Sylvester, Managing Director of the theatre.
The theatre funded the renovation efforts through donations from subscribers, individual ticket buyers, friends, corporations and foundations, as well as from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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 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 celebrates Earth Day in Philadelphia
In celebration of Earth Day, Vicinity’s Philadelphia team joined with ACV Enviro for the Schuylkill River Bank clean up. The team spent the day removing a cubic yard of aerosol cans for safe disposal and filled an entire dumpster with trash! The Schuylkill River is used for recreation and is a source of drinking water in Philadelphia, in addition to being an important habitat for wildlife. As a local environmental company in Philadelphia, Vicinity organized this clean-up event because we feel strongly that it is our collective responsibility to keep our cities green.
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
Vicinity Energy Launches as Largest District Energy Provider in North America
BOSTON, Massachusetts – Antin Infrastructure Partners, a global infrastructure fund, recently announced the creation of a new brand, Vicinity Energy, following its purchase of Veolia North America’s district energy assets in the United States. The newly launched Vicinity Energy is comprised of central energy plants and associated distribution networks that supply steam or hot water, chilled water and electricity, across 13 networks in 10 major cities. It is the largest district energy provider in North America.
Headquartered in Boston, Vicinity Energy currently supplies energy and related services to in excess of 200 million square feet of building space with its largest networks located in downtown Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore and Kansas City. Supplied by over 400 megawatts (MW) of combined heat and power (CHP) production, Vicinity is a greener alternative to conventional heating/cooling/electricity supply and its plants are the most efficient large generators on their respective power grids. With over 50 years in the district energy business, the company’s leadership team – and experienced engineers, operators and energy experts – has remained intact as part of the terms of the sale. These 450+ employees will continue to serve their client’s mission-critical energy needs.
Sectors such as life science and biomed are embracing district energy technology due to its resiliency and reliability. For medical centers and hospitals, district energy supplied heating, cooling, humidification and equipment sterilization are crucial to patient clinical and surgical care. Commercial property owners can transfer their energy risks while recapturing valuable amenity space such as parking and rooftops. Developers can expect expedited permitting with a low carbon solution that requires no onsite combustion.
“With Antin’s strong financial backing and planned infrastructure investments, Vicinity has the opportunity to leverage its veteran expertise and apply it to the growth and advancement of district energy systems across the U.S.,” said William DiCroce, president and chief executive officer of Vicinity Energy. “Today’s energy landscape is evolving rapidly, which is why property owners, developers, and major institutions alike are increasingly gravitating toward this established technology, recognizing it as a green, cost competitive and super-reliable energy option. Cities also recognize the important role we play in reducing the carbon footprint of their environs.”
The completion of this deal, which was announced in July and closed on December 30th of last year, represents Antin’s first big energy acquisition in North America. The infrastructure investment firm’s financial backing, coupled with Vicinity’s experienced team, poises the company for accelerated growth of its environmentally friendly products and services.
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
Sara DeMille
Marketing and Communications
857-955-5073
sara.demille@vicinityenergy.us
