Creativity and innovation are the defining hallmarks of California. Tapping that ingenuity through the efforts of Chevron's employees and partners will help us solve California's energy challenges. We are engaged in every stage of the innovation cycle — from the moment of inspiration to the application that touches our lives.
A commitment to research and collaboration is the starting point. We partner our best talent with the brightest minds in government, industry and the scientific community.
We invest in the best ideas – our own and those of entrepreneurs that offer the possibility of transformational energy technologies. Our Venture Capital team has invested in start-up companies specializing in energy and information technologies — with most of them in California, Massachusetts and Texas. These investments support early-stage innovation and provide small businesses with a gateway to a global customer with worldwide operations, thereby building future engines of growth for California.
Chevron believes energy efficiency is the cheapest and cleanest form of "new" energy we have. Chevron Energy Solutions (CES) has developed approximately 200 projects in California that enable public institutions to increase energy efficiency, save taxpayer money and lower greenhouse gas emissions. From the heart of Silicon Valley to the heat of our San Joaquin Valley operations, CES installations provide more than 20 megawatts of solar power for California, making it one of the largest solar power installers in the state. Chevron committed $2.5 million to the University of California at Davis Energy Efficiency Center, endowing the Chevron Chair in Energy Efficiency to help develop and commercialize advanced energy efficiency technologies.
Our California refineries are applying new technologies to manufacture the clean gasoline and diesel fuel that California needs — technologies made possible through research, collaboration and innovation.
Chevron Energy Solutions (CES) uses energy-efficient building technologies and renewables such as solar, biomass and fuel cell systems to help schools, government buildings and other large facilities lower their energy costs and carbon footprint. CES is one of the largest installers of solar power in California. Its projects nationwide are reducing customers' energy costs by more than $1 billion and greenhouse gas emissions by more than 3 million metric tons.
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Chevron is partnering with the University of California at Davis on the creation of next-generation biofuels from sources such as agricultural waste. We are a member of the university's Energy Efficiency Center, which is researching new energy-efficiency technologies, and provided a $2.5 million endowment for a permanent chair to head the Center. We have partnerships with other major California universities, including Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Southern California (USC).
Our partnership with USC is helping create a "digital oil field" at our San Joaquin Valley operations that is safer, cleaner and more productive. We also are installing advanced solar technology in the San Joaquin Valley to produce steam that is used in the production of oil to power some of our operations.
How We're Pushing the Limits of Technology
Chevron has a comprehensive program in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and annually reports on its progress in this area. We also are exploring carbon sequestration technologies at our San Joaquin Valley oil field operations, reducing energy use at our facilities, providing vanpools for employees and taking other steps to reduce carbon emissions.
How We're Addressing Climate Change
Chevron Technology Ventures, our venture capital unit, manages strategic investments in early-stage technology companies worldwide, including California companies, which are exploring the frontier of renewable energy technologies.
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Chevron Energy Solutions built innovative systems in Rialto and Millbrae that transform wastewater and kitchen grease from local restaurants into clean, renewable power.
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Chevron and Weyerhaeuser, one of the world's largest integrated forest products companies, have formed a joint venture, Catchlight Energy, to develop commercial-scale transportation fuel from nonfood plant sources such as wood waste.
How We're Investing in Emerging Energy