California Center for Sustainable Energy

San Diego headquarters now on clean energy

Cox Communications has completed construction of two fuel cells at its corporate headquarters in San Diego that will generate enough onsite power to reduce the company’s dependence on the local power grid and decrease its carbon footprint. Totaling 800 kilowatts, the installations qualified for a $3.6 million Self-Generation Incentive Program award from CCSE.

One fuel cell will provide 100 percent of the electrical load for the company’s data center, and the second fuel cell will provide nearly 60 percent of the electrical requirement for the main building. By building these fuel cells, Cox Communications will generate onsite power equivalent to planting 618 acres of trees, powering 602 homes annually and saving nearly 1 million gallons of water a year, a company spokesperson said.

“Cox Communications is extremely proud to be able to make such a positive impact on our environment and help encourage other businesses to implement eco-friendly initiatives,” said Bill Geppert, senior vice president and general manager of Cox’s San Diego operations.

The fuel cell project is part of the nationwide Cox Conserves program that is designed to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by 20 percent by 2017 and promote eco-friendly behavior among its employees, communities and other corporations, according to a Cox press release.

Launched in 2007, Cox Conserves seeks to reduce Cox Enterprises’ energy consumption by embracing renewable forms of energy, conserving natural resources and inspiring eco-friendly behavior. Cox Enterprises says that nationwide their alternative energy projects prevent more than 16,000 tons of greenhouse gases from entering the environment on an annual basis.

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