What is the Green-e program?

The Green-e Energy program is North America's leading independent certification program for renewable energy. Administered by the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), it was established in 1997 to provide a recognizable and trusted standard for consumers and businesses looking to purchase renewable energy and reduce the environmental impact of their electricity use.  

Here's a breakdown of what the Green-e program entails:

Core Function:

• Certification: Green-e Energy certifies renewable energy products and programs that meet its rigorous environmental and consumer protection standards. This includes Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), utility green pricing programs, competitive electricity products, and community choice aggregation programs.  
   
• Verification: Green-e independently verifies the source and delivery of certified renewable energy to ensure that purchasers receive exactly what they paid for and that the environmental benefits are accurately tracked and claimed. This involves an annual Verification Process Audit.  
   
• Consumer Protection: The program has strict marketing guidelines to ensure transparency and prevent misleading claims by sellers of certified renewable energy. This is monitored through an annual Marketing Compliance Review.  
   

Key Aspects and Goals:

• Promoting New Renewables: Green-e certification typically requires that the renewable energy comes from new facilities (usually built within the last 15 years) to encourage the development of additional clean energy capacity.  
• Ensuring Environmental Integrity: The program sets standards for the types of renewable resources that can be certified, aiming for those with lower environmental impact.  
• Preventing Double Counting: Green-e ensures that certified RECs are unique and are retired on behalf of the purchaser, preventing the same renewable energy from being claimed by multiple parties or used for compliance with mandatory programs and voluntary claims simultaneously.
• Building Consumer Confidence: The Green-e logo is a widely recognized symbol that helps consumers and businesses identify and trust renewable energy products that have met a high standard of quality and environmental performance.  
• Supporting Voluntary Markets: Green-e plays a crucial role in the voluntary renewable energy market, driving demand for clean energy beyond what is required by law.  
• Alignment with Standards: Green-e certification is recognized and often recommended or required by other leading environmental standards and programs like LEED, The Climate Registry, and RE100.  
   

In essence, the Green-e program acts as a third-party guarantor of the quality and environmental attributes of renewable energy products in the voluntary market, providing assurance and transparency to buyers. It helps to ensure that purchasing renewable energy leads to real environmental benefits and supports the growth of the clean energy sector.