Sustainability: An Apex Core Value

Beyond our work to accelerate the shift to clean energy, it is critical for us to act and lead on sustainability. To a certain degree, this core value is integral to everything Apex does as a mission-driven company.

But truly paving the way requires us to think above and beyond our business model and vigorously pursue sustainability in every regard. Just as we are helping shape the future of electricity generation across the entire United States, we are acting with great intention here in our home city of Charlottesville.

We began with low-hanging fruit, such as switching from incandescent lights to LEDs, which resulted in an accompanying energy reduction for lighting of 50% year over year. But our sights are set much higher, embodied in the design of our new headquarters, which will break ground later this spring and open in 2019.

The building, previewed here in Accelerate, will go beyond energy-neutral to energy-positive, leveraging both solar generation and efficient architectural design and materials. It will feature communications resources to minimize unnecessary staff airline travel and seek local sourcing of products and services whenever possible.

We’re also extending sustainability outside the workplace, most significantly through our DriveElectric program, Solar Power Incentive program for residences, and Parking Cash Out program to incentivize alternative commuting. Beyond our focus on carbon, Apex has prioritized leading through social and governance programs that bring out the best in our workforce and our community.

From providing the resources for our Gulf Coast team to lend support in the wake of Hurricane Harvey to volunteering leadership and service to dozens of nonprofits across our region, Apexers are making a significant impact in the lives of those around us.

When it comes to our core business, Apex is also rising above on the projects that matter most.

In South Dakota, we’re partnering with six tribes of the Sioux Nation to develop Ta’teh Topah and Pass Creek Wind, projects that will bring jobs and long-term economic prosperity to future generations of this rich sovereign culture.

Closer to home in Virginia, we’re working with the Boy Scouts to develop Pinewood Wind, which will help conserve the largest council-owned scout camp in the country and teach the next generation of scouts about the benefits of renewable energy.

As we look to the years ahead, it’s hard to deny the need for a growing emphasis on sustainability. We anticipate more and more corporates and utilities searching for partners that mirror their values, and we set ourselves apart from the pack by practicing our values in every aspect of the business.

Sustainability is more than what we do. It is an ethos that defines who we are.