Seneca Environmental

Seneca Environmental is grateful and honored to be acknowledged as the first official Preferred Provider for the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, an Indigenous-led nonprofit offering no-cost capacity-building support to tribal nations. With its Preferred Provider Program, the Alliance is addressing barriers to renewable energy development on Native land. The program, which helps tribes connect with highly qualified, ethical renewable energy developers and service providers, is a natural fit for Seneca Environmental. As one of just a few tribally owned renewable energy development and services companies, Seneca Environmental is ideally positioned to work with Native communities in an equitable and respectful way. Thanks to Chéri Smith, Jennifer Peterson Rouda, and everyone at ATCE for including us in this important work! #EnergyTransition #RenewableEnergy #EnergyEquity #JustTransition #TribalCleanEnergy

The updated #TribalEnergyAtlas from National Renewable Energy Laboratory is live! Native communities can use this interactive tool funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to understand energy baselines and explore potential energy options, including solar, wind, and battery storage — helping them make informed decisions about their clean energy projects. https://lnkd.in/dnBvW5bG #cleanenergy #renewableenergy #NativeNations #TribalEnergy

It can be hard to keep up with growing electricity demand, as Google is seeing. Google has cut onsite carbon emissions but is challenged when it comes to Scope 2 emissions, which are dominated by buying electricity for its operations. Data center electricity use continues to increase, spurred by AI’s computational requirements. Another reason we need to keep deploying more renewables! #renewableenergy #AI #ESG #carbonemissions

Agrivoltaics installations come in many sizes! Combining solar and agriculture can be a win-win-win for farmers, solar developers, and communities. This 180 MW solar installation in Ohio is one of the first operating utility-scale solar sites to integrate soybeans, alfalfa, and forage crop production within a solar array. Livestock will graze on the site, too. #solarenergy #agrivoltaics #agriculture #farming

The Supreme Court’s recent Chevron ruling diminishes the power of federal agencies, potentially challenging tribes' relationships with the federal government. Though the implications for Native communities are still unclear, the decision could challenge tribes setting their own air and water quality standards approved by the EPA, or regulations involving toxic contamination or public health. However, the impact on the Department of the Interior may be relatively small, which could mitigate the impacts of the decision.

Location, location, location. It's not just about real estate — where solar is sited can affect its environmental benefits and even social outcomes. A recent report notes that since 2014, private companies have contracted for 71 GW of new renewable energy capacity in the U.S. But companies should also consider where their renewable energy generation is located. To incorporate “emmissionality,” companies looking to purchase renewable energy credits (RECs) can contract with solar and wind projects in regions with the highest percentage of fossil fuel generation. #ESG #renewableenergy #climateaction #emissionality

A new study of more than 3,300 public companies has found that none are on track to hit the Paris Accords’ 2050 net-zero target. Amid growing ESG disclosures and a ticking clock to align corporate action with climate targets, these findings are a wake-up call to set companies on an authentic path to net-zero. Seneca Environmental can help! Contact us at info@senecaenvironmental to collaborate with a tribally owned company on your ESG goals. #ESG #renewableenergy #climateaction

Wendy's is using renewable energy certificates (RECs) from a community solar program with Ampion, PBC. to help the company meet its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. Last year, Wendy's set a goal to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 47% and Scope 3 emissions from franchisees by 47% per restaurant by 2030, compared to 2019 levels. IHG Hotels & Resorts announced a similar deal in May. These companies are showing how community solar can double as an ESG play! #ESG #CommunitySolar #RenewableEnergy #RenewableEnergyCertificates #RECs

Happening today at 10am PT, 1pm ET! There's still time to join the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Office of Indian Energy for the latest updates on the Low-Income Bonus Credit Program, now accepting applications for investment tax credits for solar and wind energy facilities on Indian land. Guest speakers will share technical assistance resources available to Tribes for navigating current #cleanenergy policies, including a case study presented by Anthony Giacobbe of Seneca Energy, showing how the Seneca Nation of Indians leveraged existing partnerships with their providers to bring #renewableenergy and #broadband projects online. #InflationReductionAct #energyequity #tribalnations

There are so many benefits to #agrivoltaics — co-locating agriculture and #solar panels! Here's a good one that turned a challenge into an opportunity. Rocky terrain and exposed stone made it impossible to mow under a 1.8 MW ground-mounted solar project. The solution: employing sheep and pigs to manage the vegetation by grazing. "Maintenance costs of grazing are 60% of what it costs to mow the same acreage one time and the forage profile has improved from the initial weedy growth seen last year before the sheep and pigs arrived."