It’s Scary in the Dark – Halloween and The Energy Transition

Growing up in the UK 40 odd years ago, Halloween was never really a big deal in our family or community. We had apple bobbing (trying to eat an apple out of a bucket of water with your hands behind your back – actually quite difficult) and maybe the odd trick-or-treater. Living in North America for over 10 years cumulatively, I’ve found Halloween to be quite the experience…decorations, pumpkin carving, haunted houses, scary movies, costumes, family orientated trick-and-treating missions to load up on candy and sweets, and lots of parties. 

The common theme is the haunted or scary attractions. Haunted houses are often most frightening: dark with a smoke machine obscuring your vision as you traverse hidden rooms full of characters with masks, fake blood, and a wicked screech waiting to surprise you. 

Today the energy transition feels like Halloween. Too many businesses and communities are stuck in the dark feeling like victims who are unsure what to do next. Should they embrace the scare factor or go home?

Navigating Energy Fear Factors

The energy transition is complex. Businesses and communities want energy to be sovereign, secure, reliable, cost-certain, and clean. The centralized grid simply cannot adapt to these needs quickly or effectively. Meanwhile, external pressure mounts from customers, shareholders, capital markets, and board members (to name a few) to have a plan to navigate the energy transition. Those working to figure it out have to rush to educate themselves as to where to begin, what is possible, and how to get the optimal outcome for their competing needs and priorities. They have many questions, including:

“Is my current utility connection meeting my needs? What about onsite energy (solar, storage, gas, EV chargers, etc.)? What is the value of a renewable energy credit? Should I buy into a utility power purchase agreement for an asset built hundreds or thousands of miles away?” 

The options are overwhelming and lots of players in the market are forcing solutions where they don’t make sense. There are lots of dark corners, hidden rooms, and characters waiting to surprise us. This makes the process stressful and creates a reluctance to make forward progression. We are looking for a buddy we can hide behind when we enter the metaphorical dark room, letting him be jumped on, make the mistakes, and scream to warn us of what lies ahead.

At VECKTA, we believe it is our job to be your trusted advisor who understands and makes sense of the uncertainty. We want you to know where you stand today. We can predict what’s in the haunted house, shine a light on the path ahead removing the scare factor, and lead you through the best combination of alleyways to provide the tailored experience you are seeking.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enter the haunted house, enjoy a life-changing experience, and have fun! Understand your scare-tolerance, surround yourself with the right trusted friends, and expose those dark rooms to ensure you can navigate the energy experience without feeling you constantly want to turn round and run away.

Written By: Gareth Evans

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Barry Callebaut’s Use Of Sustainable Ingredients

When it comes to sourcing ingredients to produce chocolate on a global scale, prioritizing ethical and sustainable sourcing needs to be enforced and upheld as the industry standard.

Barry Callebaut is transparent about where and how they source everything from packaging materials to the raw ingredients like cane sugar, coconut, and cocoa that go into their products.

In addition, they aren’t afraid to admit where there is room for improvement. For example, palm oil is one of the leading causes of deforestation of our rainforests.

Therefore, Barry Callebaut has been a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) since 2011. And recently, they joined the front-running members of the Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG) in order to build upon the efforts of RSPO to further advance sustainable palm oil requirements.

Corporate Commitment to Sustainability

It’s one thing to say it, but Barry Callebaut takes action. Their corporate commitment to sustainability runs deep within their policies and codes of conduct, solidifying their values through actionable steps and practices. The entire team at Barry Callebaut upholds these high standards of sustainability and ethically- sourced ingredients.