Fore!: Southern Company Drove Renewable Energy Moves for PGA TOUR Championship
Southern Company, an energy provider, has announced delivery of 100% renewable energy for the TOUR Championship, professional golf's season-ending event, for the third consecutive year.
Southern Company and its subsidiaries Georgia Power and Southern Company Gas have collaborated with the tournament and the PGA TOUR to drive sustainability measures on and off the golf course. The PGA TOUR's season-ending event returned to Atlanta and the newly restored East Lake Golf Club, between Aug. 29 and Sept. 1, 2024.
The 2023 edition of the TOUR Championship has achieved GEO Certification, considering its sustainability commitments, actions, and progress.
Southern Company's custom, sustainable solutions for the 2024 event includes:
- 500,000 kWh of renewable energy credits to avoid emissions generated from fossil fuel-based electricity used on course
- RNG to avoid emissions from the clubhouse's natural gas appliances by integrating environmental credits from carbon neutral RNG captured from landfills
- 90 percent of golf carts are electric
- 11,000 gallons of renewable diesel (R99) replacing traditional diesel
- Battery-powered and solar-powered cell phone charging stations for fan use on course
- Electric vehicle chargers in the East Lake Golf Club parking lot for player and patron use
- Renewable and recyclable materials in Southern Company's Good Energy Pavilion fan experience
Driving sustainability on course links up with Southern Company's goal off the course to achieve net zero emissions across its system's electric and natural gas operations by 2050.
The company reduced its system's GHG emissions by 49 percent in 2023 as compared to 2007. The net zero goal includes direct GHG emissions across the company's electric and natural gas businesses.