BP was one of the first major energy companies to publicly acknowledge the need to reduce carbon emissions. BP Alternative Energy was set up in 2005 to make it happen. In a short time, we’ve made a real difference — and over the next 10 years we aim to invest $8 billion in solar, wind, hydrogen and natural gas power technology and projects that will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions further.

Solar

BP Alternative Energy is one of the top solar technology manufacturers in the world and has been growing this business since the ’70s. The solar market is expanding at 30 percent a year and the cost of solar technology is falling. The outlook for this simple, low-carbon power source has never been better, and we will continue to work towards making affordable solar technology available to communities throughout the world.

Wind

In terms of wind power, which uses revolving windmill blades to create energy, BP is making excellent progress towards its global implementation. We’ve built two wind farms in the Netherlands and are planning more in the U.S.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen power is also seeing its day. BP and Rio Tinto, a world leader in finding, mining and processing the earth’s mineral resources, have joined forces to create a new company, Hydrogen Energy, which will develop alternative energy solutions in the form of decarbonized energy projects.

Natural gas

Natural gas-fired power releases less than half the carbon dioxide of coal-fired power, and BP has interests in high-efficiency gas-fired power stations in the U.S., Vietnam, Spain and South Korea. Together, they can generate up to 12 GW of power — enough to meet the needs of around 11 million typical homes. And because natural gas will be so important in a low-carbon economy, BP will keep building up our capacity in the future.

Learn more about BP and Alternative Energy

BP Alternative Energy is giving the world a choice of low-carbon power solutions, making clean energy a reality for more people in more places. This work will become more and more important as people everywhere decide to make responsible choices about our environment. Find out more.