Introduction to the Green-e Framework for Renewable Energy Certification

Center for Resource Solutions recently released a new global energy certification framework that establishes the baseline criteria for new regional and country-specific Green-e standards throughout the world. The Green-e Framework for Renewable Energy Certification addresses the longstanding need for consistent international criteria that enforce the quality of renewable energy generation, transactions and use, while providing a way to address local stakeholder and market-development goals. The Framework ensures that new Green-e certified clean energy is from newly created renewable electricity generation facilities, contains all of the environmental attributes of the generation that can be owned, is provided to the customer as advertised, is not double counted and is not counted against existing governmental renewable energy mandates.

This webinar will walk the listener through the key goals, requirements and uses of the Framework, as well as how local Green-e certification standards can be developed in a given region. Each session will include ample time for questions to be answered. The same session will be held twice to accommodate multiple time zones. This is the August 10, 9:00 AM CEST (3:00 PM SGT/CST, 4:00 PM JST) webinar.

Transcript

1. Alex Pennock 14 September, 2017 Green-e Framework for Renewable Energy Certification
2. Webinar Agenda 1. About Center for Resource Solutions and Green-e 2. Voluntary Market Function and Needs 3. Framework Goals and Development 4. Framework Criteria 5. Example – Singapore 6. Regions of Interest 7. Questions
3. Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) creates policy and market solutions to advance sustainable energy. ▪ Policy expertise ▪ Expert assistance on tracking systems and electricity markets ▪ Renewable energy and carbon offset certification ▪ Education and white papers ▪ Annual Renewable Energy Markets Conference (New York Midtown Hilton, Oct. 22-24, 2017) https://resource-solutions.org/
4. Certification Programs
5. What is Green-e Certification? Consumer protection, quality criteria, ecolabel for voluntary RE sales and consumption ▪ Program participants are sellers and buyers of RE ▪ Certification Standard for transactions and use ▪ Code of Conduct for marketing and claims ▪ Annual verification of sales / use and marketing
6. Green-e is Not… ▪ A renewable energy certificate (REC) ▪ RECs are contractual tradable instruments to track the generation and use of renewable electricity ▪ A REC tracking system ▪ A carbon offset ▪ A generator certification ▪ Green-e does have generator eligibility rules ▪ A renewable energy / REC buyer, seller or broker
7. Why Voluntary Purchasing? ▪ Use renewable electricity in place of traditional sources ▪ Use your money to support your values ▪ Save money with some purchase types ▪ Corporate reporting / commitments ▪ Scope 2 GHG emissions ▪ Qualify for other programs like LEED, Cradle-to-Cradle
8. Why Green-e Certification? Reduce risk and provide purchasing assurances ▪ Enable and accelerate RE use, market growth ▪ Standards for quality and impact ▪ Verification of RE sales and claims ▪ Consumer disclosure, marketing and sales review ▪ Support for multiple purchasing types (electricity programs; RECs; PPAs; on-site…) ▪ Market confidence for long-term growth
9. Green-e Certified Sales by Customer Type – Canada / US
10. Retail Customers Purchasing Green-e Certified – Canada / US
11. Voluntary Markets Need… ▪ Real delivery of specified generation (attributes) ▪ Consumer confidence ▪ No double counting or double claiming ▪ Ongoing interaction with regulatory structure ▪ Regulatory surplus
12. Voluntary Markets Need… ▪ Real delivery of specified generation (attributes) ▪ Consumer confidence ▪ No double counting or double claiming ▪ Ongoing interaction with regulatory structure ▪ Regulatory surplus
13. ▪ Exclusive ownership ▪ Attribute aggregation ▪ Credible generation data ▪ Exclusive claims ▪ Geographic limitations ▪ Vintage limitations Criteria for Credible Usage Claims
14. ▪ Exclusive ownership ▪ Attribute aggregation ▪ Credible generation data ▪ Exclusive claims ▪ Geographic limitations ▪ Vintage limitations Criteria for Credible Usage Claims
15. ▪ Exclusive ownership ▪ Attribute aggregation ▪ Credible generation data ▪ Exclusive claims ▪ Geographic limitations ▪ Vintage limitations ▪ Generator age restrictions ▪ Avoided carbon emissions Criteria for Credible Usage Claims
16. ▪ Provides risk reduction to all parties ▪ Protects against double claims ▪ Verifies product marketing claims ▪ Meets diverse region-specific requirements ▪ Demonstrates leadership in clean energy and climate ▪ Differentiates your company and products ▪ Strengthens customer loyalty ▪ Provides access to a community of leading organizations ▪ Provides trusted 3rd-party assurances Benefits of Certification
17. ▪ Demand from large purchasers across many markets: ▪ E.U., South America, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, others ▪ Trust in the Green-e brand and validation processes ▪ Stakeholder consultation, strict environmental standards, industry credibility, audit & verification ▪ Global purchasing and recognition programs ▪ Market development ▪ Follow best practices, simplify purchasing decisions, allow demand to be meaningfully expressed Why Evolve Internationally?
18. ▪ Regional certification standards will represent local stakeholder needs and goals ▪ Provides consistent baseline criteria among Regional Standards, incl. Canada / U.S. Standard ▪ Counts towards Scope 2 reporting ▪ Allows regional certification to rapidly evolve without sacrificing quality or impact ▪ Initially serves large purchasers ▪ Eventually smaller businesses & residential Goals for International Certification
19. Green-e Framework for Renewable Energy Certification Canada / U.S. Standard Singapore Code Future Regional Standards
20. ▪ International Advisory Group ▪ Staff research and outreach, needs assessment ▪ Experience in North America and CRS policy work ▪ Two stakeholder consultation periods, resulting in revisions and further outreach ▪ Green-e Governance Board: independent review and final vote Framework Development
21. Baseline criteria; adapted for local needs / goals ▪ New Date – up to 15 years; extended eligibility for long- term contracts ▪ Vintage – 21 month period or less ▪ Resource types vary ▪ Biomass advisory group required when defining biomass eligibility in a Regional Standard ▪ No double counting or double claiming ▪ Not counted toward certain RE / carbon support policies ▪ Generated and used in a defined region Framework Criteria
22. ▪ Green-e value layered onto quantitative tracking ▪ Tracking systems required, though exemption possible ▪ Criteria developed through stakeholder processes ▪ Green-e does not have its own tracking system ▪ Individual systems approved by Region ▪ e.g. government systems, TIGRs, systems using the IREC Standard, others Framework Criteria – Tracking Systems
23. ▪ Direct emissions for Scope 2 reporting ▪ Avoided emissions must be included, to maintain impact of purchasing and avoid double counting ▪ Carbon cap interaction ▪ Off-the-top mechanism ▪ Cap set lower due to RE sold in voluntary market ▪ Allowances retired for RE purchaser ▪ In some cases offsets may be used Framework Criteria – Carbon Value
24. Application of Framework: Regional Code for Singapore Publishes November 2017
25. ▪ Singapore Code launches in late 2017 ▪ Taiwan process ongoing ▪ Advising Chinese agencies tasked with REC system development ▪ Exploring interest from E.U., Asia, Latin America and the Middle East ▪ Formalizing Regional Standard application process ▪ Interested parties should contact Green-e Status of Green-e Market Development
26. www.green-e.org alex.pennock@resource-solutions.org Learn More