Introduction to Green-e Energy

Introduction to Green-e® Energy Certification
Judy Chen
Analyst, Certification Program
Center for Resource Solutions

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1. About CRS and Green-e®
2. The Voluntary Market
3. The Value of Green-e®
4. Verification Procedures
5. Marketing and Claims
6. Get Certified
Outline
2
Copyright © 2019 Center for Resource Solutions. All rights reserved.

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Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) creating policy and market
solutions to advance sustainable energy since 1997.
• Expert assistance
• Renewable energy and climate policy
• Renewable Energy Markets annual conference
• Green-e® certification for suppliers and users of renewable
energy and carbon offsets in the voluntary market
About Center for Resource Solutions
3

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Green-e® Programs
4

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5
Certifications for
sellers…
ü Utility green power programs
ü Community solar
ü RECs
ü Competitive electricity products
ü Carbon offsets
ü Community choice aggregation
ü Carbon offset natural gas
programs
ü Federally eligible
Certifications for
buyers…
ü PPAs (delivered or virtual)
ü On-site power
ü Corporate purchasers
ü Products manufacturing
ü Conferences and trade
shows
ü EV charging stations
ü Paper and printers

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The
Voluntary
Market
6

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Voluntary Purchasing. Why?
• Reduce GHGs and air pollution
• Meet corporate sustainability goals
• Scope 2 GHG Emissions Claims
• Energy independence
• Job creation
• Promote sources of unlimited, emissions-free energy
• Proven and effective compliment to policy drivers
• Accelerate market development and help overcome market
barriers
Driving Demand
7

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Voluntary Product Types
8
Bundled
Utility Green Pricing
Competitive Electricity
Direct PPAs
Community Choice Aggregation
Community/Shared Renewables
On-site
OR
Unbundled
RECs
Direct RECs (VPPAs)
Community Choice Aggregation
(RECs)
Brokers
RECs must be included in ALL options

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Voluntary Markets Need
9
• Real delivery of specified
generation (attributes)
• Consumer confidence
• No double counting or double
claiming
• Ongoing interaction with regulatory
structure
• Regulatory surplus

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Double Claims
10
[P]ublic statements or representations that directly or through
implication confer the use of renewable electricity or any of the
environmental attributes within the REC (including avoided
emissions) to a party who is not the REC owner. The effect of a
double claim is that the environmental benefits of that REC are
counted twice, once by the legitimate REC owner and once by
the other claimant, which can result in environmental benefits
that are “double-counted.” (Explanation of Green-e® Energy
Double Claims Policy, p.2-3).

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The
Value of
Green-e®
11

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12
Consumer protection and certification for
voluntary renewable energy purchases

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• Certifies majority
of the U.S.
voluntary market
• Chain of custody
certification
• Certify RE
transactions and
programs

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Green-e® Energy and Consumer Protection
14
• The Reason for Green-e® Energy. Creating confidence in
clean energy purchases.
• Best Practices in standard setting. Independent
Governance Board, stakeholder-driven standards and
policies. Code of Conduct and customer disclosure
requirements
• Claims and the annual Verification process. Annual
Verification of sales and claims, Marketing Compliance
Review.
• Other Standards Require Green-e®.

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Green-e® Certification | Citations and Partners
15
Green-e® Citations: Green-e® Partners:
§ U.S. EPA
§ NRDC
§ Union of Concerned Scientists
§ CDP
§ World Resources Institute
LEED points issued to new
construction using Green-e®
certified energy

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The Value of Green-e® Energy: Ensuring Best
Practices
16
GENERATION/ SUPPLY à SALE à CUSTOMER
1. Customers were provided with the product promised to them.
•Annual Verification of Supply and Sales.
2. Customers are given clear and accurate information about
their purchase.
•Disclosure when you buy:
§ Price, Terms & Conditions
§ Product Content Label
•Marketing Compliance Review

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Benefits of Green-e® Certification
17
• Provides risk reduction to all parties
• Protects against double claims
• Verifies product marketing claims
• Meets diverse state-specific requirements
• Support for multiple purchasing types
• Demonstrates clean energy and climate leadership
• Differentiates your company and product
• Strengthens customer and employee loyalty
• Integrates you into a community of leading organizations
• Provides trusted 3rd party assurances

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Verification
Procedure
18

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Green-e® Renewable
Energy Standard
19
• Resource type
• Date facility came on-line (New
Date)
• Vintage
• No double counting / selling /
claiming
• GHG benefits must be
included
• Geographic restrictions
• State-specific requirements
and restrictions

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Green-e® Energy Annual Verification
20
• Annual independent verification audit of supply and
sales
§ Proof of sale
• Internal reporting documents, invoices, contracts, etc. (A)
§ Sale details
• Ensures clear ownership, no double counting
• Chain of custody through attestations and tracking
systems
• Tracking Attestations
§ Submit online Tracking Attestations
§ Review by CRS Staff
§ Facility listed in Green-e® Energy Participant Portal

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Green-e® Eligible ≠ Green-e® Certified
21
• Not the individual facility that is certified
• The individual facility is not eligible; it is the generation
that is eligible
• Eligibility means that we have checked that the facility
meets our standards and the RECs have not been
claimed by other parties
Green-e® eligible does not mean Green-e® certified
Green-e® certifiable does not exist

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Marketing
and Claims
22

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Growing Successful Renewable Energy
Markets Requires
23
1. Real delivery of specified generation (attributes)
2. Consumer confidence
3. No double counting or double claiming
4. Ongoing interaction with regulatory structure
5. Regulatory surplus
6. Government support and recognition
7. Products that meet customer preferences and needs

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Code of Conduct:
Marketing and Claims
24
• Review of customer
disclosure and marketing
language
• Required Product
Content Label and
product disclosures
• Marketing material
reviews
• Accuracy in product
advertising

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Marketing Compliance Review (MCR)
25
Participant will submit:
• Product details
§ Name, type, resource mix
• Mailings
• Upfront disclosures
• Subscription Mechanisms
• Marketing Materials (incl. social media)
• Website
• Logo use
• Call Centers

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Sign-Up for
Green-e®
Energy
26

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Review Program Documents
27

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Submit Application to Green-e® Staff
28
1. Contract with Green-e 2. Prospective Product
Content Label (PPCL)
3. Price, Terms, and
Conditions

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29
Western Region:
Judy Chen
[email protected]
Midwest Region:
Maggie Lund
[email protected]
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Region:
Miranda Domico
[email protected]
Southern Region:
Pat Brewer
[email protected]

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Upcoming Events
www.resource-solutions.org/events

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Q&A

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Contact
Judy Chen
Analyst, Certification Programs
[email protected]
415-568-4281

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NOTICE: This presentation is the copyrighted property of Center
for Resource Solutions (CRS). It cannot be copied, reprinted or
used in any way without permission of CRS. If you wish to obtain
permission to use our copyrighted materials, please contact CRS
at +1-415-561-2100 or [email protected]

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Introduction to Green-e Energy

Introduction to Green-e Energy

Center for Resource Solutions
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Introduction to Green-e Energy

Introduction to Green-e Energy

Center for Resource Solutions PRO

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Center for Resource Solutions
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