Cleartrace’s Chief Commercial Officer, Patrick Davis, and VP of Sustainability, Nicole Sullivan, recently participated in VERGE 2024, a premier climate tech event held in San Jose, California. Co-hosted by Trellis Group and Clean Energy Buyer’s Association (CEBA), this year’s conference, with the theme “Deploying Climate Tech at Scale,” attracted thousands of sustainability and energy professionals, investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, each committed to accelerating solutions for a net-zero future and featured more than 500 speakers. Cleartrace’s presence at VERGE 2024 showcased our ongoing work to drive innovation in granular energy and carbon data for both energy suppliers and large consumers of energy.
Who Was in Attendance
VERGE 2024 brought together a dynamic group of attendees from across the climate tech and sustainability sectors. This diverse audience included:
- Corporate Sustainability Teams: Representatives from leading Fortune 500 companies and multinational corporations, focusing on strategy, sustainability initiatives, renewable energy procurement, and emissions reduction.
- Energy Providers and Utilities: Senior leaders and sustainability officers from major energy companies, utilities, and renewable energy project developers aiming to enhance clean energy generation and grid resilience, both in regulated and deregulated markets, to deliver clean and reliable energy to residential and commercial and industrial (C&I) customers.
- Government and Policy Makers: Officials and advisors from regulatory agencies, state energy departments, and public sector entities, shaping and implementing climate policy.
- Investment Firms and Venture Capitalists: Climate-focused investors and VC firms exploring sustainable technology investments and supporting the growth of the climate tech sector.
- Technology Developers and Service Providers: Experts from clean tech, AI, and data analytics firms showcasing innovative tools for energy efficiency, carbon tracking, and digital solutions in energy management alongside consultants providing strategy and technical execution support.
- Nonprofits and NGOs: Organizations dedicated to climate advocacy, research, and policy, working alongside private and public entities to accelerate climate action and promote environmental responsibility.
This diverse group of attendees and speakers created a unique platform for sharing ideas, fostering partnerships and collaboration, and driving impactful discussions on the future of climate solutions.
Conference Session Highlights
VERGE 2024 featured sessions that explored the latest developments and strategies in sustainability, carbon markets, climate tech, and carbon-free energy solutions. With many sessions to choose from across 12 distinct tracks ranging from buildings to transport and land use and all things sustainability, including a CEBA specific track, our team prioritized attendiung sessions at the nexus of carbon and energy. Below are highlights from select sessions our team attended, designed to provide fresh insights for current and future energy and decarbonization innovators:
- From Contracts to Carbon: Efficient REC Allocation for Suppliers and Offtakers
Our VP of Sustainability, Nicole Sullivan, led a discussion on streamlining Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) allocation processes. This roundtable explored innovative solutions for managing and accurately allocating REC inventories in accordance with carbon accounting best practices, aligning renewable procurement with carbon reduction goals, and ensuring transparency in reporting for both energy suppliers and offtakers. Participants included representatives from utility-scale renewable providers, retail energy providers, renewable project developers, corporate energy buyers with ambitious renewable strategies including Emissions First and RE100, and third-party services and technology firms. Read a full recap of the roundtable discussions on LinkedIn. - Building the Data Infrastructure for Granular Carbon Accounting
In a roundtable focused on establishing an open data standard for utilities to share customer data in a safe and consistent manner (think “Green Button Connect 2.0”), hosts from LF Energy, WattTime, and Google as well as utility representatives discussed goals, priorities, and challenges of their respective organizations. This highlighted how there’s a clear need for alignment on outcomes and incentives to ensure a universally beneficial path forward. In particular, utilities are challenged by having other higher priorities and being limited with resources. One well known data center provider shared how they’d solved for this particular technology challenge (driven by customer demand) proving that technology is not the challenge – but the alignment is. It was a spirited but fun round of discussions and is for sure something to follow. - The Grid is Breaking. Corporations Can Help
Recognizing the challenges the grid faces with increasing renewable integration and rising energy demands, speakers from a corporate sustainability and energy team, a utility, and an energy retailer and developer discussed how corporations can play a proactive role in grid support and resiliency while offering new green programs and strategies to customers so that energy providers and off takers can be effective decarbonization partners. Panelists explored methods like demand response, corporate PPA structuring, nuclear energy including small modular reactors, and distributed generation initiatives that companies are adopting to enhance grid resilience and support decarbonization. - Putting a Price on Carbon: How to Set an Internal Carbon Fee
Sustainability leaders from major corporations, all of which have set a price on carbon, shared best practices on establishing internal carbon pricing mechanisms. The session provided insight into setting and adjusting internal carbon fees that align with emissions reduction targets. Speakers discussed how internal carbon pricing can help prioritize decarbonization investments and support corporate net-zero commitments. - Preparing for California’s Emission Disclosure Regulations
With California’s emissions disclosure requirements on the horizon, this session brought together regulatory and legal specialists, sustainability managers, and compliance officers. The focus was on the steps companies are taking to prepare for reporting under new regulations, strategies for transparent emissions tracking, and the role of real-time data. Panelists highlighted the challenges and benefits of aligning with state-level mandates and the need for systems that support accurate and compliant reporting. Preparedness is key as California is not the only state with emerging climate disclosure regulations. - Powering the Future: Integrating Long-Duration Energy Storage Across the Grid
With energy storage as a critical enabler of renewable integration, this session featured experts from energy storage technology firms, utility companies, and commercial energy providers. The discussion centered on the evolving landscape of long-duration storage (LDES), its role in grid resilience, and strategies for deploying storage solutions that ensure energy reliability and flexibility. Real-world examples were shared to highlight the importance of LDES in both utility and industrial applications to address intermittency challenges and providing consistent clean energy over extended periods, particularly in high-demand, high-renewable regions.
Key Takeaways and Highlights from VERGE 2024
VERGE 2024 sessions covered essential climate tech topics and industry-specific challenges, with a wide range of experts offering their insights. Here are some key takeaways and highlights that emerged from sessions throughout the event:
- The Growing Focus on Real-Time Carbon Data
Across the board, attendees emphasized the critical role of real-time carbon data for both corporate transparency, increased accuracy and granularity, and strategic planning. Organizations are recognizing the need for continuous, precise emissions data to meet ambitious climate goals, proactively manage Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) procurement and allocations, and ensure accurate reporting for emissions disclosure regulations. - Renewed Interest in Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy saw renewed attention as a viable pathway to achieving long-term carbon-free energy, especially for large-scale industrial and grid applications. Experts discussed the potential of advanced nuclear technologies to provide reliable baseload power, complementing renewables by reducing reliance on intermittent energy sources. With technological advancements, nuclear is being reconsidered as part of an all-of-the-above approach to decarbonization. In evaluating new commissioning of projects and recommissioning, significant risk mitigation and planning is essential to preventing cost over-run and navigating permitting. - Expanding the Role of Corporations in Grid Stability
With the grid facing increasing pressures from renewable integration, electrification demands, and significant load growth, corporations are stepping up to support stability and resilience. Many companies are implementing demand response programs, procuring distributed generation assets, and leveraging corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) to play an active role in supporting grid operations. Corporate customers are strongly encouraged to engage their utility partners to collaborate on paths for driving positive outcomes. - Navigating Emerging Emissions Disclosure Regulations
With new regulations, particularly in regions like California, companies are preparing for increased emissions disclosure requirements such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Emphasis was placed on developing accurate emissions tracking throughout the value chain and accurately setting boundaries between Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions, which is particularly nuanced for companies with data center operations. Companies are looking for technology solutions that streamline compliance and improve the transparency of their emissions reporting. - The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Advancing Climate Solutions
Public-private partnerships are increasingly seen as powerful levers for scaling climate tech and clean energy solutions. Successful collaborations—often between government entities such as the Department of Energy (DOE), corporations, and research institutions—were highlighted for their ability to combine resources, drive innovation, and accelerate decarbonization initiatives across sectors. - Advancing ESG Strategy through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
A central theme was the need for clear, data-driven environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies supported by input from a broad range of stakeholders, including finance, procurement, operational sustainability, energy, risk, and legal. Corporations are collaborating more deeply with investors, NGOs, and regulatory bodies to refine ESG metrics and build credibility through transparent reporting frameworks.
Final Thoughts
VERGE 2024 reinforced the importance of data, policy, and technology in developing, deploying, and scaling impactful climate solutions.
Above all else, VERGE is the perfect opportunity to meet people in person and to engage with customers, partners, prospects, and other industry stakeholders as we all work towards a cleaner, more carbon-free future.
Cleartrace is dedicated to empowering organizations with real-time, granular energy and emissions data to drive effective carbon management strategies while minimizing risk and enabling transparent and accurate green claims. We are excited to apply the insights gleaned from sessions and energizing breakout conversations during VERGE 2024 as we help our partners and clients navigate a sustainable, carbon-free future.
Stay tuned as we continue to share our learnings from industry events and introduce solutions that support our customers in leading the charge toward decarbonization.
