Introduction to Green-e Energy

Originally presented Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at 10:00 am PT. A free webinar that explained the Green-e Energy certification program and how it works within the larger voluntary renewable energy market in North America. This webinar covered the basics of how renewable energy is generated, tracked, and sold; how Green-e Energy protects consumers by ensuring clear title to renewable energy purchases that are as advertised; and how consumers, businesses, and renewable energy sellers can become involved with Green-e Energy.

Transcript

1. INTRODUCTION TO GREEN-E ENERGY 2014 Webinar Series July 23, 2014 Michael Leschke Green-e Energy Associate
2. Outline 1. Welcome/About Us 2. Renewable Energy Basics 3. Green-e Energy and Consumer Protection 4. How to Get Started 5. Q&A/Wrap Up
3. About Center for Resource Solutions A nonprofit creating policy and market solutions to advance sustainable energy since 1997.
4. About Green-e Energy The nation's leading voluntary certification program for renewable energy.
5. Outline 1. Welcome/About Us 2. Renewable Energy Basics 3. Green-e Energy and Consumer Protection 4. How to Get Started 5. Q&A/Wrap Up
6. Renewable Energy Basics •What does renewable even mean, anyway?
7. Renewable Energy Basics •What does renewable even mean, anyway? •Resource Types. Biomass (Gaseous & Non-gaseous), Geothermal, Hydro, Solar, Wind
8. Renewable Energy Basics: Resource Types Resource Types in Green-e Energy. Contributions of Renewable Resource Types to Total Green-e Energy Certified Retail Sales, 2012.
9. Renewable Energy Basics •What does renewable even mean, anyway? •Resource Types. Biomass, Geothermal, Hydro, Solar, Wind •Two Markets. Compliance vs. Voluntary
10. Renewable Energy Basics: Two Markets. Comparison of compliance and voluntary markets for renewable energy, 2005–2012. Courtesy National Renewable Energy Laboratory Renewable Energy Basics: Two Markets
11. Green-e Energy certifies approximately 75% of the U.S. voluntary renewable energy market
12. Renewable Energy Basics •What does renewable even mean, anyway? •Resource Types. Biomass, Geothermal, Hydro, Solar, Wind •Two Markets. Compliance vs. Voluntary •Renewable Energy Product Types. Competitive electricity, green power pricing programs, renewable energy certificates
13. Renewable Energy Basics •What does renewable even mean, anyway? •Resource Types. Biomass, Geothermal, Hydro, Solar, Wind •Two Markets. Compliance vs. Voluntary •Renewable Energy Product Types. Competitive electricity, green power pricing programs, renewable energy certificates •Respect the REC. Renewable energy certificates explained
14. Renewable Energy Basics •Respect the REC. Renewable energy certificates explained
15. Renewable Energy Basics: Respect the REC. Fossil fuel generation produces commodity electricity. Renewable generation also produces electricity, but for every megawatt-hour of electricity generated, a Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is also produced. This REC embodies the additional environmental benefit of renewable energy—little or no pollution.
16. Renewable Energy Basics •What does renewable even mean, anyway? •Resource Types. Biomass, Geothermal, Hydro, Solar, Wind •Two Markets. Compliance vs. Voluntary •Renewable Energy Product Types. Competitive electricity, green power pricing programs, renewable energy certificates •Respect the REC. Renewable energy certificates explained •Stake your claim. He who owneth the REC maketh the claim
17. Renewable Energy Basics •Stake your claim Double Claiming and Double Counting REC
18. Outline 1. Welcome/About Us 2. Renewable Energy Basics 3. Green-e Energy and Consumer Protection 4. How to Get Started 5. Q&A/Wrap Up
19. Green-e Energy and Consumer Protection •The Reason for Green-e Energy. Creating confidence in clean energy purchases Michael L. and Green-e Energy Staff
20. Green-e Energy and Consumer Protection •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
21. Green-e Energy and Consumer Protection •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
22. Green-e Energy and Consumer Protection •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 Energy.
23. Other Standards Require Green-e. B Corporation, Cradle to Cradle, U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standard.
24. Green-e Energy and Consumer Protection •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. •High Logo Recognition. 21% logo recognition, THE highest
25. High Logo Recognition. Green-e has one of the highest levels of recognition among third-party certifications, and the highest among non-governmental labels (Smart Choice is no longer).
26. Green-e Energy and Consumer Protection •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 •High Logo Recognition. 21% logo recognition, among the highest •At a Retail Seller Close to You. Easy to find Green-e Energy certified products in your neck of the woods
27. At a Retail Seller Close to You.
28. Source: NREL, 2013 At a Retail Seller Close to You. 7 (soon to be 8) of the 10 largest utility green pricing programs are Green-e Energy certified, as are 98% of Retail RECs in the Voluntary Market Rank Utility Sales (MWh/Year) 1 Portland General Electric 1,049,981 2 Austin Energy 863,956 3 PacifiCorp 634,092 4 Sacramento Municipal Utility District 423,724 5 Xcel Energy (CO, MI, MN, NM, WI) 388,157 6 Puget Sound Energy 380,155 7 Connecticut Power & Light/ United Illuminating 273,658 8 CPS Energy 205,713 9 Tennessee Valley Authority 199,067 10 WE Energies 17,711
29. Equivalent to powering nearly 1/3 of U.S. households for 1 Month
30. increase in 2012 retail MWh certified compared to 2011 increase in # of customers buying Green-e Energy certified products in 2012 compared to 2011 average increase per year in total MWh certified since 2008 The Value of Green-e Energy: Certification Growth 29% 15% 30%
31. Outline 1. Welcome/About Us 2. Renewable Energy Basics 3. Green-e Energy and Consumer Protection 4. How to Get Started 5. Q&A/Wrap Up
32. How to Get Started •Check out green-e.org/find. Search for Green-e Energy Certified products at “Find Green-e Certified Renewable Energy for Your Home or Organization”
34. How to Get Started •Check out green-e.org/find. Search for Green-e Energy Certified products at “Find Green-e Certified Renewable Energy for Your Home or Organization” •Learn, Learning, Learned. Check out www.green-e.org/learn
35. Learn, Learning, Learned. A dedicated section of the website with instructional materials, a dictionary, an FAQ, and whitepapers discussing claims and ownership for RECs.
36. How to Get Started •Check out green-e.org/find. Search for Green-e Energy Certified products at “Find Green-e Certified Renewable Energy for Your Home or Organization” •Learn, Learning, Learned. Check out www.green-e.org/learn •Holler. Contact Green-e Energy staff at info@resource-solutions.org
37. Outline 1. Welcome/About Us 2. Renewable Energy Basics 3. Green-e Energy and Consumer Protection 4. How to Get Started 5. Q&A/Wrap Up
38. ?
39. Upcoming Webinars •Carbon Offsets 101. August 6th •Renewable Energy 101. September 3rd •An In-Depth Look at Solar Claims and Green-e Energy Eligibility. September 12th •Tracking Renewable Energy for the U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan: Guidelines for States to Use Existing REC Tracking Systems to Comply with 111(d). September 23rd Learn more and register at www.resource-solutions.org/events
40. Michael Leschke Green-e Energy Associate 415-568-4286 michael@resource-solutions.org CONTACT