Environment, Climate & Sustainability

 

Powering Our Community's Future

Annual Sustainability Reports

2022 Community Impact Report

Utility’s commitment to sustainable growth and the community’s future

With our strategic plan, Vision 2027 – An Evolving Utility, as our roadmap, we strive for operational excellence, financial stability, enhanced customer experiences, a thriving team culture, and fostering impactful community partnerships.

As the largest municipally owned natural gas and electric utility in the nation, CPS Energy assumes a leadership role within our industry and the Greater San Antonio community. United as One Team, we are committed to transparency, collaboration, and continuous engagement with our customers.

The 2022 Community Impact Report highlights our efforts in connecting with the community, our strategies to move towards net zero, and a better future. As we navigate the challenges and opportunities of an evolving landscape, we remain steadfast in our dedication to serving you, our valued customers, and community partners.

2021 Corporate Sustainability Report

Utility delivers on mission to serve community through reliable, competitively priced, and sustainable energy services in an equitable manner

We are fully committed to reducing our carbon footprint and transitioning to cleaner energy for climate resiliency. We continue to take actions to reduce emissions and we seek new technologies to transform the way we provide power to our growing community.

We are leaders in renewable energy and our energy efficiency and conservation programs help customers reduce energy use and save money on utility bills while reducing carbon emissions.

This report highlights our accomplishments and plans. We take customer accountability seriously, and we strive to engage with our community, listen to customer concerns, communicate clearly and honestly, and operate transparently to serve our community.

2020 Environmental Sustainability, Community Impact & Financial Highlights Report

Utility shares updates on environmental and community impacts as part of its annual report

We are engaged in nearly every aspect of the energy industry. We generate electricity. We buy renewable electricity. We transmit power over our transmission lines, and we deliver energy to our customers over our distribution grid. We directly serve and care for our customers, who we also consider our owners.

Our employees are leaders in the community where they give their time to volunteer and to serve. Through this report, we again seek to share some of our sustainability and stewardship actions thus far. Thank you for taking time to read it. Your interest inspires us in every way to continue our community contributions and make further progress on our journey to a cleaner and reliable energy future.

 
 
 
 

SA CLIMATE READY

The final approved report of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) is available here.  The CAAP Board Public Input Session from February 18, 2019 is available here.

SA Climate Ready is a project to develop a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan for the City of San Antonio. The project will explore both mitigation strategies, aiming to reduce or prevent the emission of GHGs, and adaptation strategies aiming to prepare the community, municipal government operations, and other key sectors for the unavoidable impacts of climate change.

We are proud to be a part of SA Climate Ready, working with the City of San Antonio, UTSA, and Navigant.  The SA Climate Ready kick-off event was held on Dec. 7, 2017. Please check out the video links: Part One and Part Two

 

 

USING THE SUN AND WIND TO POWER OUR CITY

We now provide nearly 500 megawatts (MW) of waterless, emissions-free solar power. Adding more sun power means we can use our baseload generation of coal and natural gas less.

Our commitment to provide you clean energy can now be seen at solar farms across Greater San Antonio and in West Texas, along with 1,066 MW of wind power also out west and spread across the Gulf Coast.

With your support, we crossed the threshold of a major milestone last year. We met our Vision 2020 goal of 20 percent renewable energy three years before the year 2020. It’s an accomplishment in which we all can take pride. 

 
 

KEEPING THE AIR CLEAN

In 2017, when the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) lost State funding for its air monitoring efforts, we partnered with AACOG to make sure their work could go on. We’re now monitoring our area’s air quality. Knowledge is power. With continued awareness of air quality issues, AACOG can talk to our community about the steps we can all take to reduce air emissions.

 

STAYING GREEN ON THE ROAD

Lowering vehicle emissions protects the air we all breathe. 100 Best Fleets recognizes our work in this area, ranking us 28th nationally in Green Fleet and 24th in the 100 Best Fleets. The awards recognize organizations who drive employee engagement, safety, efficiencies, use of alternative fuel vehicles and cost savings.

In April 2018, we purchased 34 XLP Plug-In Hybrid Electric Ford F-150 pickup trucks – the largest purchase of Plug-In F-150s of any utility or private company to date and the first in Texas to use the vehicles.

 

CONSERVING WATER

After a devastating drought in the 1950s, our company leaders of the time created Calaveras and Braunig lakes. Recycled water goes into the lakes and is used to cool our plants instead of drinking water. As a result, the lakes have saved enough drinking water in in one year to take care of the needs of 76,000 families for an entire year.

 
 

REDUCING, REUSING, RECYCLING

Just like you, we are dedicated to keeping recyclables out of landfills. In 2017, we recycled 300,000-500,000 tons of material, reusing 91 to 95 percent of all our materials.

Totals:

  • 2017 – 355,791 tons recycled  89% Reused (Tuttle landfilled tons of brick)
  • 2018 - 295,323 Recycled – 91% Reused
  • 2019 – 409,419 Recycled – 97% Reused (largest change in single stream material i.e. plastics, paper, etc.)

Taking care of today’s resources so our children and future generations have what they need to survive and thrive is a job for all of us. Whether recycling paper or plastic or something much larger, we are on a daily mission with you to do what’s right for people, animals and our environment.

 
 

Helpful Environmental Links:

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