Press Release

Verizon signed four new long-term renewable energy purchase agreements (REPAs) for an aggregate of up to 410 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity. With these new agreements, Verizon has surpassed 3.0 gigawatts (GW) of total projected renewable energy capacity, as it continues to be a leading buyer of U.S. renewable energy. These agreements also position the company to meet its goal to source or generate renewable energy equivalent to 50 percent of its total annual electricity consumption by 2025.

Since 2019, Verizon has signed 24 REPAs for more than 3.0 GW of projected renewable energy capacity, which is roughly equivalent to 8.4 million megawatt hours (MWh) of annual electricity production, enough to power more than 707,000 homes for a year¹.

These agreements also support Citizen Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan for economic, environmental and social advancement.

“We are proud to be among the leading corporations in the U.S. in buying renewable energy,” said Matt Ellis, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Verizon. “We are also a leader in green financing, issuing four green bonds totaling $4 billion in as many years, allowing us to further support and invest in renewable energy to deliver on our goal to be net zero in our operational emissions (scope 1 and 2) by 2035.”

Overview of Verizon’s new REPAs

• Two REPAs with Invenergy for an aggregate of up to 240 MW of renewable energy capacity. The projects include a facility in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) regional market that became operational in 2022; and a facility in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) regional market.
• A 12-year REPA with Enel North America for an aggregate of up to 100 MW of anticipated renewable energy capacity. The wind facility, located in the SPP regional market, became operational in December 2022.
• A REPA for an aggregate of up to 70 MW of anticipated renewable energy capacity. The facility is located in the Pennsylvania Jersey Maryland (PJM) Interconnection regional market.

To date, seven renewable energy facilities relating to Verizon’s REPAs for an aggregate of more than 800 MW of capacity are operational. This includes the wind facility relating to Verizon’s previously announced REPA with Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, which recently became fully operational.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is one of the world’s leading providers of technology and communications services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $133.6 billion in 2021. The company offers data, video and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.

Are US operators doing enough to promote sustainability and reach their carbon neutrality goals? Join the operators in discussion at the upcoming Connected America conference

Also in the news:
Orange opens European solar farm to boost access to renewable energy
Bullitt: Two-way satellite messaging will be available this quarter
Cox launches mobile services to bolster fixed line offerings

One M&A and three organic expansion projects, each from a different infrastructure domain: … [visit site to read more]

News

The Swedish Security Service (SAPO) called for vigilance from critical infrastructure operators, warning that ‘unpredictable’ Russia could disrupt key sectors using unorthodox methods

The new year is upon us and sadly the war in Ukraine shows no signs of stopping, with reports in recent weeks suggesting that Russia plans to mobilise up to half a million additional conscripts in preparation for a major spring offensive.

Now, in parallel to the fierce fighting ongoing in the Donbas, the Swedish security agency SAPO is warning Europe to remain vigilant of less direct kinds of warfare: espionage and sabotage of critical infrastructure.

Speaking at the People and Defense conference in Salen, Sweden, the head of SAPO, Charlotte von Essen, said that Russia poses a growing threat to the Sweden’s critical infrastructure – a threat that could extend beyond the country’s borders to the rest of Europe.

Von Essen noted that the Swedish telecoms sector and electrical grid were both likely targets, suggesting that “Russian security-threatening activities” against these industries were likely to increase in the coming year.

“From the Russian side, there is an interest in disturbing these areas,” she explained, highlighting the far-reaching implications such attacks could have for society, even beyond Swedish borders. “These are sectors where attacks against Sweden could cause damage to the rest of Europe as well.”

Von Essen noted that the Russian state would not only use official channels, such as government agencies, to conduct these attacks, but would leverage “the Russian diaspora, institutions and companies in Sweden”.

Russia has a long history of cybercrime against foreign nations, in recent years coming to prominence for high-profile attacks seeking to undermine various Western governments, including interference in US presidential elections.

Naturally, Russia has been conducting cyberwarfare against Ukraine on a massive scale since the start of the war, coupling the shelling of critical infrastructure with cyberattacks on the company networks. In recent weeks, Ukrainian officials have called for Russian cyber attacks on critical and civilian infrastructure to be categorised as war crimes.

Russia is also accused of using stolen network data to identify and persecute Ukrainian supporters in occupied regions of the country.

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Also in the news:
Orange opens European solar farm to boost access to renewable energy
Bullitt: Two-way satellite messaging will be available this quarter
Cox launches mobile services to bolster fixed line offerings

News

Reports suggest the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite telecommunications firm has closed its Alaskan test site, with locals bemoaning its services as expensive and unreliable

This week, a report from the Telegraph indicates that UK-backed satellite operator OneWeb has closed its vaunted test site in the village of Akiak, Alaska, following complaints from the Alaska Telecom Association (ATA) and local internet providers.

Akiak was one of OneWeb’s first test sites and was notable for being a keystone the company’s marketing campaign, designed to show that the LEO satellite constellation could provide internet services to one of the most remote communities in the US.

Less than a year since activation, however, and it would seem that the test site is failing to live up to expectations.

According to sources, the ATA and local providers have written to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to complain that the “service is too costly to adopt” and had been discontinued “due to ongoing technical difficulties”.

The nature of these technical troubles has not been revealed.

While this closure is surely something of a blow to OneWeb’s image, given Akiak’s prominence in its marketing campaign, the material impact to the company is likely small. While OneWeb has significant ambitions in the consumer broadband segment, its focus to date has been largely centralised on government, maritime, and enterprise broadband needs.

Furthermore, according to the operator, other rural Alaskan test site are still up and running with positive results, perhaps suggesting that the Akiak site is simply an anomaly.

Nonetheless, such a closure has shone a worrying light on the challenges OneWeb may eventually face in the consumer space, particularly given the meteoric rise of rival SpaceX’s Starlink constellation in the US and beyond.

Starlink launched commercial services to consumers in Alaska in November last year and is seemingly gaining a growing market share in remote locations. The service already covers Akiak and has reportedly been well received by residents.

In a somewhat ironic twist, after OneWeb’s loss of access to Russian Soyuz rockets last year due to the war in Ukraine, SpaceX has been contracted to launch OneWeb satellites. This week marked the companies latest launch collaboration, which saw SpaceX put an additional 40 OneWeb satellites into orbit.

In total, OneWeb now has 502 LEO satellites floating above the Earth, having said they will require 648 for full global coverage. The operator expects its constellation to be fully launched by the end of the year.

What role will satellite play in expanding broadband access to the most remote US communities? Join the telecoms experts in discussion at this year’s upcoming Connected America conference

Also in the news:
Orange opens European solar farm to boost access to renewable energy
Bullitt: Two-way satellite messaging will be available this quarter
Cox launches mobile services to bolster fixed line offerings