Southern Company and PGA TOUR partner for the first-ever net zero energy TOUR Championship

Southern Company today announced that it is delivering the first-ever net zero energy TOUR Championship.

For the PGA TOUR’s season finale, which returns to Atlanta and historic East Lake Golf Club, August 24-28, 2022, and crowns the season’s FedExCup champion, Southern Company and its subsidiaries Georgia Power, PowerSecure and Southern Company Gas collaborated closely with the TOUR Championship to drive sustainability measures on and off the golf course. 

Some of the measures implemented to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the event include:

• Renewable fuels: Working with PowerSecure, the tournament swapped traditional diesel with renewable fuels for all onsite generation during the tournament to power the golf course with renewable energy.
• Renewable energy credits: In collaboration with Georgia Power and through the use of renewable energy credits, we offset traditional energy usage and reduced the tournament’s carbon footprint.
• Renewable natural gas: Through Southern Company Gas, we offset the emissions from the clubhouse’s natural gas appliances by integrating environmental credits from carbon-neutral renewable natural gas captured from landfills.
• Solar cell phone and EV charging stations: We are leveraging renewable energy and the benefits it offers players and fans, while reducing the impact to the environment.
• Electric golf carts: Producing zero emissions, more than 90% of the golf carts on course will be electric.
• Good Energy Pavilion: Within the Southern Company fan experience on the course, we are using recyclable and reusable materials including wood, fabric and mesh products to reduce waste.

In alignment with Southern Company’s stated goal of achieving net zero emissions across its electric and natural gas operations by 2050, the company reduced its system’s GHG emissions by 47% in 2021 relative to 2007 levels, and now expects to achieve reductions of 50% or greater on a consistent basis by 2025, a full five years ahead of its interim 2030 goal. The net zero goal includes direct GHG emissions across the company’s electric and natural gas businesses.

“It is really exciting for us that this year's Tour Championship will be net zero energy,” said Georgia Power CEO & President Chris Womack. “This initiative reflects the commitment to clean energy by Southern Company and its subsidiaries.”

Since 1999, Southern Company has been the Official Energy Company of the PGA TOUR. Southern Company is now in its seventh year as a Proud Partner of the TOUR Championship and recently renewed its relationship with the tournament through 2027. Southern Company remains alongside The Coca-Cola Company and new addition Accenture as the Proud Partners of the TOUR Championship.

Southern Company is committed to providing clean and resilient energy solutions that connect communities, businesses and future generations to opportunity and growth.

Southern Company and subsidiary PowerSecure had the opportunity to help the PGA TOUR meet its sustainability goals as it embarked on the construction of its new headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.  The 187,000 square foot Global Home was completed in 2021 and includes a microgrid comprised of rooftop solar, a natural gas backup generation system and battery storage to enable 24/7 reliability through PowerSecure’s energy solution. 

For more information, please visit https://www.southerncompany.com/sustainability.html