On behalf of the team at 5, I am pleased to forward our market letter for the third quarter of 2020. This letter focuses on the upcoming Presidential election, the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, and the potential impact of these events on energy policy. The election and a changing court will impact how energy policy is regulated both at the Federal and the state level. Notwithstanding the perceived impact of these changes in Washington, we caution against putting too much weight on political and judicial changes. In short, it is often the case that when it comes to energy policy, economics, not politics, often prevails.

In 2018, the State of New Jersey passed The Clean Energy Act which requires that 100% of the electricity in the state come from renewable power sources by 2050. For over 15 years, New Jersey has had a vibrant solar power market with structures and incentives that expanded the amount of solar output from 4.3 MWs in 2004 to 2,908 MWs in 2019. 

Moorestown, NJ - May 28, 2020

McLean Packaging, a turnkey provider of rigid set boxes, folding cartons, corrugated displays and thermoformed packaging solutions with emphasis on the beauty and personal care sectors, has contracted with national energy advisory firm 5 and ENGIE Resources, LLC on a five-year energy agreement that supports the development of renewables. The deal supports McLean’s zero carbon transition and sustainability goals which include sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable resources.

Dallas, TX - April 4, 2020

Fort Worth, TX - March 2, 2020

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History has powered its way to energy cost reductions and a cleaner energy future by executing a new 100% renewable electricity agreement with TXU Energy through its partnership with the energy advisory firm 5.

Western Carriers, Inc. is one of the leading warehousing and transportation service providers to wine and spirits importers, wineries, wholesalers, retailers, restaurants, and private collectors in North America. The company stores more than 159 million cases in almost 3 million square feet of warehousing space, exclusively dedicated to wine and spirits in New Jersey. 

The Opportunity

Prior to partnering with 5, the Irving Convention Center (ICC) had procured energy by issuing RFPs directly to suppliers. While this process met their basic needs, the ICC lacked the time and tools to track and analyze market conditions or conduct usage analyses that would allow the facility to capitalize on periodic market fluctuations. As a result, the ICC had little opportunity to reduce baseline energy costs or pursue operational efficiencies. Additionally, the ICC had initiated a new lighting project but lacked the funding to complete it.

New York City’s Climate Mobilization Act, especially Local Law 97, sparked the creation of generic carbon calculators for buildings to assess occupancy class and emission limits. Although intended to be helpful, not all are accurate.

Royal Holiday Group has more than 35 years of experience in the national and international tourism industry. It is an owner and operator of Royal Holiday Vacation Club and Park Royal Hotels & Resorts, a hotel chain with 14 resorts in Mexico, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Florida in the United States. Park Royal Hotels and Resorts caters to travelers that are looking for a luxurious beach destination with their Grand Park Royal resorts, a family-friendly resort with their Park Royal line or their Park Royal City group of hotels which offers a more urban hotel setting.

Many states throughout the country, especially along the East Coast, have aggressive plans to construct solar and wind farms to produce electricity.  States such as New York and Maryland have established mandates that will require up to 50% of the electricity in those states to come from renewable sources over the next 10 to 15 years. And while these goals are admirable, the facts are that strong, sustained winds and lots of sunshine are not abundant in the Northeast.  Additionally, there are plenty of opposition groups that, may ultimately, block these initiatives which will require new transmission lines to distribute this electricity.