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Cox Communications completed a fuel cell project in Orange County, Calif., through a partnership with UTC Power. The Orange County installation joins two fuel cells that were announced in January at Cox’s San Diego location. Combined, the three installations produce a total of 1.6 megawatts.
The fuel cell projects are 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.
“We’re deploying technology that benefits our customers and our communities,” said Jay Rolls, senior vice president of technology, Cox Communications. “The fuel cells enable us to be good environmental stewards as well as embrace a technology that positively impacts our operating costs.”
Located at Cox’s facility in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., the 800-kilowatt (kW) installation provides nearly 60 percent of the building’s electricity requirement. This is the company’s second alternative-energy project in the area, which joins a 100-kW photovoltaic rooftop solar array. Combined, Cox’s two alternative-energy installations in Rancho Santa Margarita offset the annual amount of pollution produced by more than 850 cars.
In San Diego, a 400-kW installation was completed at Cox’s facility on Federal Blvd. that provides nearly 60 percent of the facility’s electrical load requirement. A second 400-kW installation for a separate building at the facility provides 100 percent of that building’s electricity requirement.
“The fuel cells at our Cox Communications facilities in California represent an important step in our overall Cox Conserves program,” said Keith Mask, assistant vice president of energy management and engineering, Cox Enterprises.
Through Cox Conserves, Cox Enterprises has solar installations at several of its subsidiary locations, including Phoenix; Rancho Santa Margarita; Atlanta; Macon, Ga.; Bordentown, N.J.; and Portland, Ore. The three Southern California fuel cell projects join one in Oakland, Calif., at Cox’s KTVU television station.
