In 2016, 82% of the S&P 500 companies published corporate sustainability reports — up from less than 20% in 2011. This trend in sustainability reporting is a response to the growing public interest in large organizations’ environmental impact. Hyperscale data center developers are no exception.
Data center executives typically talk about their use of renewable energy systems to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, referencing highly visible energy projects such as a wind farm or a solar array. Sometimes there is discussion about carbon offsets through the purchase of renewable energy credits, accompanied by the projection of becoming carbon neutral someday. The fact is this system of energy credits provides substantial state and federal tax and financial incentives.