Forward Renew | Zeigo Hub

Target aims to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions across its own operations and supply chain by 2040 and recognizes that this can only be achieved by supporting its suppliers in their decarbonization efforts. Target, in partnership with Schneider Electric, has launched Forward Renew, a program that aims to support Target suppliers in a transition to renewable electricity. Forward Renew provides access to education and support for suppliers to learn about, explore, and consider engaging in the renewable electricity market.

Participation in Forward Renew is free to any company that supplies to Target and is voluntary.

How it works:

Step 1: Register

First, indicate your interest in the program by clicking the Register tab on this website. Registering only indicates that your organization is interested in learning more and grants you access to program resources; there is no obligation or cost to participate, and whether your company participates will not impact any Target procurement decisions. Suppliers with electricity consumption concentrated in North America are particularly encouraged to register.

Step 2: Connect

After registration, your status as a supplier to Target will be verified. Once verified, you will receive a verification email and be contacted by a member of the Schneider Electric team with an invitation to complete program onboarding. Your answers to the onboarding questions allow the team at Schneider Electric to tailor your engagement in the Forward Renew program and suggest best-fit renewable electricity opportunities. Information shared during registration and onboarding will be kept confidential between you and Schneider Electric. 

Step 3: Learn

Log in to the dedicated Forward Renew platform hosted on Zeigo Hub to access renewable electricity education resources, view program announcements, and register for upcoming live education sessions. The live education sessions will cover key internal considerations and market factors relevant to renewable electricity adoption and provide access to expert consultation at no cost.

The education material is designed to help your organization learn more about renewable electricity options and to answer questions such as:

What are the fundamentals of renewable electricity procurement?
What opportunities exist for Forward Renew program participants to seek competitive pricing and contract terms for renewable electricity?

Step 4: Act

Your participation in Forward Renew gives your company the opportunity to explore renewable electricity procurement options in different markets. Experts at Schneider Electric will help design a procurement strategy that meets the scale and needs of your business. Through the program your company can explore individual purchasing opportunities, such as onsite solar or certificate purchasing, or the option to go to market as part of a buying group.

Forward Renew provides the unique opportunity to join a "buyers' cohort," in which multiple companies combine electricity demand and go to market together. This model creates access to renewable purchasing mechanisms for many suppliers that may not have enough electricity demand to meet the scale needed for this type of purchasing on their own. These buyers' cohorts can create access to more favorable pricing and contract terms, procurement with greater environmental impact, and a community of suppliers sharing best practices as compared to purchasing individually. 

Forward Renew, Target’s supplier renewable electricity program, provides training and support to enable suppliers to achieve a successful entry into the renewable electricity market. Suppliers that register for Forward Renew will receive free access to live and on-demand educational resources that address the different types of renewable electricity purchasing and how to evaluate which is most appropriate. Suppliers are also invited to explore renewable electricity buying opportunities and purchase renewable electricity with the support of Schneider Electric. The program is free for any company that supplies to Target, and while it is encouraged, there is no obligation for Target suppliers to participate or purchase renewable electricity through the program.

Target aims to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions across its own operations and supply chain by 2040. Through Forward Renew, Target is providing its supply chain partners with access to high-quality renewable electricity education and scalable renewable electricity purchasing opportunities. Schneider Electric administers the program and provides participating suppliers with renewable electricity education, advisory support, and procurement pathways.

Participating in Forward Renew enables you to learn more about renewable electricity and explore purchasing options at no cost to you, with no obligation to buy renewable electricity. Purchasing renewable electricity is complex. It requires knowledge of market principles, terminology, and unique contract structures, evaluation and management of risks, and the involvement of internal stakeholders. Forward Renew is designed to provide critical education and support from Schneider Electric to make the process easier. The program also provides suppliers with access to scalable, impactful renewable electricity purchasing mechanisms that might not have been previously available to them.

No. Your participation in this program will not impact any Target procurement decisions

During Phase 1 of the program, suppliers with electricity consumption concentrated in North America are encouraged to register.

To register for Forward Renew, click the Register tab on this website. You will be asked to share a few basic details about your company’s electricity consumption. Data regarding your electricity consumption will not be shared with Target. After you register and are verified as a supplier to Target, you will receive an invitation to an onboarding call with Schneider Electric and access to the Forward Renew online platform, where you can access program information, educational resources, tools to take action, and more. There is no cost to participate or obligation to purchase renewable electricity if you register.

Individuals from your organization should register to participate in the program. Multiple individuals from the same company can register to receive access to program resources and the Forward Renew platform where they can access program information, educational resources, tools to take action, and more. Typically, we encourage those with responsibility for sustainability, procurement, and/or energy procurement to participate in the program. If your company is interested in pursuing a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), we also encourage key stakeholders, including those in finance, accounting, treasury, and legal roles who have responsibility for energy purchasing and/or sustainability, to register and engage in relevant education opportunities.

No, you can register at any time. However, we encourage suppliers to register during the summer and winter, prior to the start of the program’s renewable electricity education curriculum, which runs twice a year and typically kicks off in March and September.

CONNECT
After you register and are verified as a supplier to Target, you will receive access to the Forward Renew online platform and an invitation to an onboarding call with Schneider Electric. The onboarding call gives your company the opportunity to learn more about the program and ask questions, and Schneider Electric will gather information about your renewable electricity consumption and climate goals. This information will help Schneider Electric advise your team on how you can make the most of the content in the program.
LEARN
Following registration, you will be invited to engage in the program’s education curriculum. Schneider Electric runs two live renewable electricity education series per year (series content is identical). The education series begins with sessions covering renewable electricity basics, and then shifts to focus on the specific considerations of power purchase agreements. All sessions are recorded, and recordings are available on the Forward Renew platform.
ACT
Following education, you will be invited to explore your purchasing options within the renewable electricity market. We welcome continued engagement with the program as your company’s renewable electricity adoption strategy develops. For example, your company may engage and determine that EACs are a great place to start, and then re-engage to attend the education series to learn about pursuing a PPA.

Schneider Electric will work with suppliers to assess which purchasing option(s) are most suitable. Determining the suitability of solutions will depend on a company’s electricity demand, markets, experience, goals, etc. Procuring renewable electricity through the program is optional, and suppliers will make the final determination regarding which procurement option (if any) is right for their organization. Supplier participation in Forward Renew will have no impact on Target’s procurement decisions.

The following mechanisms are available to explore:  

Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): A PPA is generally a long-term contract (typically 10-20 years) between a renewable energy developer and a creditworthy buyer(s). PPAs enable renewable energy developers to secure financing for new wind or solar projects and can allow buyers to purchase renewable energy in a cost-competitive, scalable, and environmentally impactful manner.
Aggregated Power Purchase Agreement: An aggregated PPA is a structure in which suppliers form a “buyers’ cohort” and aggregate their electricity consumption to go to market as a group to pursue a PPA. Aggregating electricity demand to go to market for a PPA lowers the electricity volume that a single company must be ready to commit to a PPA, thereby making PPAs accessible to more companies.
Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) (known as Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) in North America, Guarantees of Origin (GOs) in Europe, International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) globally): A renewable electricity generator is credited with EACs as it generates; for every one MWh of renewable electricity that is generated, one EAC is created.
Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) – Distributed energy resources (most commonly onsite solar PV) are renewable installations built directly on or at a company’s facility. Facility owners may use onsite installations to power their own operations, add new renewable electricity to the grid, and generate energy attribute certificates.

Schneider Electric administers the Forward Renew program. Schneider Electric is responsible for providing renewable electricity education to suppliers and supporting suppliers to explore the renewable electricity market and purchase renewables through the program. Suppliers are not obligated to work with Schneider Electric as an advisor; they may choose to work with another advisor to purchase renewable electricity even after participating in the program. Schneider Electric is the world’s leading advisor on corporate renewable energy purchasing. As an independent advisor, Schneider Electric focuses on helping corporate clients understand the costs, benefits, risks, and opportunities of all types of renewable energy contracts.  

Contact the Schneider Electric Forward Renew team at forwardrenew@se.com.

Schneider Electric’s data privacy policy can be found here.

Basic Information

Please fill out the registration form below. Upon completion of registration and verification, your account will be created and you will receive an email with instructions on how to engage with and access the Forward Renew program and platform. Registering at this stage only commits your organization to wanting to learn more. There is no obligation or cost to participate. By registering for this program, you agree to be contacted by Schneider Electric Sustainability Business and its affiliates via email and Schneider Electric may share your contact information with the program sponsor. For more details, please read our privacy policy. If you have questions, please reach out to forwardrenew@se.com.

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Organizations that have federal income tax liability in the United States can potentially benefit from government-issued tax credits for clean energy transition infrastructure construction and manufacturing. Eligibility depends on a company's addressable federal tax liability in the United States (after application of any general business tax credits).

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Consumption & Procurement Information

To better determine your long-term fit with the renewable electricity purchasing opportunities available through this program, please provide the following information.

Please note, the following information is kept confidential. Target will not have access to this data. View our privacy policy here.

Electricity consumption refers to purchased electricity, excluding electricity from self-generated on-site installations. Purchased electricity is part of your organization's Scope 2 emissions. If you do not know how to get this number, select “Not sure”.

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North America