Page 359 - Design for Environment A Guide to Sustainable Product Development

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crude oil and natural gas as well as alternative sources. Chevron’s
investments are oriented toward four strategic goals:
1. Finding More Oil and Gas. As mentioned earlier, fossil
fuels account for about 85% of the world’s energy supply.
In 2007 Chevron invested $20 billion in exploration and
production technologies aimed at increasing production of
existing fields and drilling deeper to tap into previously un -
reachable resources.
2. Using Energy Wisely. Chevron Energy Solutions, a fast-
growing business unit, is devoted to helping schools, gov-
ernment agencies, and businesses use energy more efficiently
and reduce energy use. Since 1992, Chevron has increased its
own energy efficiency by 27%, through operational improve-
ments ranging from more efficient heat exchangers to new
power plants.
3. Developing Alternative Energy. Chevron plans to spend $2.5
billion on renewable and alternative energy and energy effi-
ciency projects between 2007 and 2009. For example, Chevron
is already the world’s largest producer of geothermal energy,
powering 7 million homes in Indonesia and the Philippines.
4. Meeting the Demand. Chevron sees energy as a fundamen-
tal human need that improves quality of life, and is deter-
mined to make the right decisions today to meet the growing
energy demand, geopolitical pressures, and environmental
challenges of the future.

Developing the Next Generation of Biofuels
Chevron is investing across the energy spectrum to develop energy
sources for future generations by expanding the capabilities of today’s
alternative and renewable energy technologies. Focus areas include
geothermal power, biofuels, hydrogen and advanced batteries as
well as application of wind and solar technologies. Chevron is the
largest renewable energy producer among global oil and gas com-
panies, producing 1,152 megawatts of renewable energy primarily
from geothermal operations.
To develop alternative sources of energy, Chevron Technology
Ventures has entered into a number of research and development
partnerships with universities and laboratories. For example, since
2006 Chevron has been working with the U.S. Department of Ener-
gy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), headquartered
in Golden, Colorado, in a strategic research alliance to advance the
development of renewable transportation fuels. The objective of
the alliance is to collaborate on developing the next generation
of process technologies that will convert cellulosic biomass, such