How to Qualify to Offer a Green-e Energy Certified Product

Green-e Energy is a voluntary program.  Companies can seek to have specific renewable energy options Green-e certified only if they agree to abide by the Green-e Energy's requirements.

Categories

If your company sells renewable energy and you would like to apply for Green-e certification, please choose from the following certification contract categories:

• Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Certification – For REC products available to residential, commercial and wholesale customers.
• Green Pricing Program Certification – For renewable electricity products sold by an electric utility to residential and commercial customers in non-competitive markets.
• Competitive Electricity Product Certification – For renewable electricity products sold by an electric service provides (ESP) to residential and commercial customers competitive markets. Also for renewable electricity products sold to wholesale customers by sellers other than ESPs.

Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Certification

Three categories of contracts: Single Mix, Multiple Mix and REC BrokerThere are three categories of contracts available to providers of RECs. A flat fee is charged for each REC certification. The contract categories are:

1. REC Single Mix Product – This category covers certification of one unique mix of eligible renewable resource types. An example of one mix is 50% wind RECs and 50% geothermal RECs. A single mix REC product may be sold to residential, commercial, and/or wholesale customers.
   
2. REC Multiple Mix Product – This category covers certification of up to 100 unique REC mixes of eligible resources offered to commercial and/or wholesale customers only. 50% wind RECs and 50% geothermal RECs is considered a distinct mix from 100% wind RECs, for example.
   
3. REC Broker Certification – This category covers certification of brokered transactions between renewable energy generators and end-use (residential and/or commercial) customers only.

Definition of Wholesale Products
The first two categories above include a license to offer Green-e certified wholesale RECs consisting of eligible renewable resources. Wholesale products are those sold to a purchaser that will re-sell the RECs and will not make any renewable energy claims about their own electricity use. In contrast, retail customers (residential and commercial) buy RECs specifically to make renewable electricity claims and do not (an cannot) re-sell their purchased RECs

The fees for either of the first two categories are the same regardless of the combination of allowable customer types you choose to sell to. The only difference in fees between customer types has to do with volumetric fees, as outlined in the Fees section.

Utility Green Pricing Programs

Only one category for green pricing programsThere is only one contract category for green pricing programs. Green-e Energy certification is available to utility green pricing programs nationwide.  This certification category is appropriate for electricity products sold in regulated markets and by monopoly utilities.  With certification, the utility can sell one single green pricing mix to its residential and/or commercial customers.  This mix can be sold across multiple service territories as long as the utility continues to meet the geographic sourcing boundaries, which are outlined below and are part of the Green-e Energy National Standard.  If the utility would like to sell a second, different mix, this would require a separate contract and fee.

Geographic Boundaries
For all electricity products, (i.e. products used to meet a customer’s electricity needs), the provider must source from one or more of the following geographic boundaries:

1. The state where the customer is located; and/or
2. The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) region, Independent System Operator (ISO), Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) or Balancing Authority Area of the customer being served; and/or
3. An adjacent NERC, ISO, RTO or Balancing Authority Area where the electricity, bundled with a REC, is wheeled into the respective region of the customer being served. 

Programs Serving Multiple Utilities ("Hub and Spoke")

In addition, utilities that offer green pricing programs to customers in conjunction with other local utilities can be certified under a single contract.  In such a model, often called a "Hub and Spoke" model, there is a central body (hub) that develops a renewable energy product that is marketed by more than one utility (spokes).  For example, the output of a wind turbine, a landfill gas facility, and a solar array could be bundled into one product and sold by all of the members of a transmission and distribution cooperative.  Since there is a single product and a single point of contact (the hub), Green-e is willing to treat this as one certification regardless of the number of vendors selling the product so long as they meet all of the conditions outlined in the Green-e Energy National Standard.

Competitive Electricity Products

Two categories of contracts: Single Mix and Multiple MixThere are two categories of contracts for competitive electricity products, outlined below. A separate contract and fee is required for each certified electricity product.  A product is defined by its resource mix, location of generation of its resources and the geographic area in which it is sold.

1. Regional Electricity Single Mix Contract – This category covers certification of one unique retail product mix to residential, commercial and/or wholesale customers. The same unique product mix made up of eligible resources may be offered across multiple states, regions or service territories as long as the same resources and facilities are used and the product meets all geographic eligibility criteria in the Green-e Energy National Standard. There is no additional charge for a single mix product that is offered in different, proportional percentages of the same renewable resources. For example, a 50% solar 50% biomass product can be sold as a 25% solar 25% biomass (with the other 50% being supplied by system energy) product as well.


2. Regional Electricity Multiple Mix Contract – This category covers certification of up to 100 unique mixes of eligible resources offered to commercial and/or wholesale customers only.  Resources can be sourced from facilities across multiple states, regions or service territories as long as each individual mix meets the geographic eligibility criteria in the Green-e Energy National Standard.  It is the responsibility of the marketer to ensure that each transaction and mix meets all geographic eligibility criteria in the Green-e Energy National Standard.

Definition of Wholesale Products
Both of the above product categories include a license to offer Green-e certified wholesale products consisting of eligible renewable resources. Wholesale products are those sold to a purchaser that will re-sell the renewable energy and will not make any renewable energy claims about their own electricity use. In contrast, retail customers (residential and commercial) buy RECs specifically to make renewable electricity claims and do not (an cannot) re-sell their purchased RECs

The fees for either of the two categories are the same regardless of the combination of allowable customer types you choose to sell to. The only difference in fees between customer types has to do with volumetric fees, as outlined in the Fees section.

Geographic Criteria
For all electricity products, (i.e. products used to meet a customer’s electricity needs), including those listed above, the provider must source from one or more of the following geographic boundaries:

1. The state where the customer is located; and/or
2. The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) region, Independent System Operator (ISO), Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) or Balancing Authority Area of the customer being served; and/or
3. An adjacent NERC, ISO, RTO or Balancing Authority Area where the electricity, bundled with a REC, is wheeled into the respective region of the customer being served.